Delhi plans artificial rain to rein in air pollution

NEW DELHI, Nov 14 (BBC): Could the answer to Delhi's pollution problem lie in the clouds? Last week, as the Indian capital battled days of toxic air, the city's environment minister said that his government was considering cloud seeding - a rain-making technique - to bring down pollution levels.
The plan's fruition will depend on getting approval from India's Supreme Court, and possibly a number of federal ministries. If that happens, the scheme may be implemented later this month, depending on weather conditions.
This isn't the first time that cloud seeding has been suggested as a possible solution for air pollution in Delhi. But some experts say it is a complicated, expensive exercise whose efficacy in battling pollution is not completely proven, and that more research is needed to understand its long-term environmental impact.
But as Delhi's pollution keeps choking its people and making global headlines, political leaders seem desperate for a solution.
Over the past two weeks, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures the level of PM 2.5 or fine particulate matter in the air - has consistently crossed the 450 mark, nearly 10 times the acceptable limit. And after a brief bout of (natural) rain brought down pollution over the weekend, air quality turned hazardous again on Monday as people burst firecrackers to celebrate the Diwali festival.