Delhi can’t afford costly cloud-seeding gamble

DELHI’s grand experiment to make artificial rain has ended — not with a splash, but a sputter. The Rs 3.20-crore cloud-seeding drive, meant to wash away the capital’s toxic smog, failed to bring even a drizzle. The skies stayed dry and so did Delhi’s hopes. The much-hyped exercise, projected as an innovative pollution fix, quickly turned into a political slugfest between the AAP and the ruling BJP. Science thrives on trial and error, but in Delhi’s case, both seem buried under political theatrics. Cloud seeding works only under precise conditions — adequate moisture, dense clouds and stable wind patterns. Countries like China, Thailand and the UAE have succeeded because they chose their moments well. Delhi, with its dry skies and low humidity, ignored that reality. Without adequate humidity or cloud density, silver iodide flares cannot trigger rain. That limitation was known well in advance, yet the government pressed ahead, seemingly more interested in optics than outcomes.

The question is whether Delhi can afford such costly gambles while overlooking real solutions. Reducing vehicular emissions, checking construction dust, managing crop residue and enforcing green norms would clean the air more effectively than playing rainmaker. This failed attempt reflects a larger malaise — the tendency to treat pollution control as performance, not policy. Real progress demands less drama and more discipline. It won’t come from helicopters scattering chemicals in the sky, but from grounded governance, sustained planning and scientific rigour.

While the clouds didn’t cooperate this time, that should be no excuse to retreat. The lesson is simple: science must lead, not politics, with better coordination between scientific institutions and civic agencies. Delhi needs cleaner air for the sake of the health of its teeming millions.