New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality showed slight improvement on Wednesday, a day after the city carried out cloud seeding experiments in an effort to induce artificial rain and combat rising pollution levels.
According to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 273 around 10 a.m., falling within the “poor” category, down from 294 recorded on Tuesday. However, the forecast suggested a likely deterioration to 309 (“very poor”) later in the day.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that Delhi’s AQI on Tuesday stood at 294 at 4 p.m., marginally lower than Monday’s 301. Despite the citywide improvement, 11 of Delhi’s 38 monitoring stations continued to report “very poor” air quality, with readings above 300.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 18.2°C — 2.1 degrees above normal, and a relative humidity of 89 per cent at 8:30 a.m. The maximum temperature was expected to reach around 28°C, with the IMD forecasting shallow fog in some parts of the city.
On Tuesday, the Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, conducted cloud seeding operations across several locations, including Burari, Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh, and Badli. It marked the first such attempt in over five decades. The process involved dispersing silver iodide and sodium chloride particles from aircraft to stimulate rainfall.
Although the IMD reported no measurable rainfall in Delhi, light precipitation, 0.1 mm in Noida and 0.2 mm in Greater Noida, was recorded later in the evening. Government data indicated that PM2.5 and PM10 levels saw a modest drop after the exercise, with particulate matter levels reducing by about 10–15 per cent in targeted areas.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said more trials are planned in the coming days, particularly in northern parts of the city based on wind direction. While environmental experts have questioned the long-term impact of cloud seeding, the government described the trials as an important scientific step towards reducing air pollution in Delhi.