Cloud seeding not a proven solution for air pollution – Mongabay-India

Report on Cloud Seeding as an Air Pollution Mitigation Strategy in New Delhi

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the recent cloud seeding experiment conducted by the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) as a response to hazardous air quality levels. The initiative is evaluated against the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The report finds that the experiment, while an attempt at technological innovation, lacks scientific validation for pollution control, poses environmental risks, and distracts from proven, sustainable solutions necessary to achieve long-term public health and urban sustainability targets.

1. Context: Urban Air Quality and Public Health Crisis

New Delhi faces a severe annual air pollution crisis, with air quality frequently reaching hazardous levels. This directly contravenes the objectives of several SDGs.

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The city’s annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration is approximately 24 times higher than WHO guidelines, leading to a public health emergency with widespread acute and chronic health conditions.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The persistent pollution undermines Target 11.6, which aims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.

2. The Cloud Seeding Experiment: An Assessment

2.1. Initiative Overview

In response to the crisis, a ₹3.21 crore cloud seeding project was initiated to induce artificial rain, aiming to wash pollutants from the atmosphere. The experiment involved releasing seeding agents (a mixture of silver iodide, common salt, and rock salt) into existing clouds. However, the trial failed to produce precipitation due to insufficient atmospheric moisture.

2.2. Disputed Outcomes and Scientific Scrutiny

Despite the failure to induce rain, project proponents claimed a minor 6-10% reduction in particulate matter. This claim and the experiment’s validity have been widely disputed by the scientific community for several reasons:

1. Lack of Evidence: There is no documented scientific evidence confirming that cloud seeding is an effective method for reducing air pollution.
2. Temporary Impact: Experts assert that any potential improvement in air quality from induced rain would be minor and short-lived, lasting only a few hours. This fails to provide the sustained improvement required to meet SDG 3 and SDG 11.
3. Operational Constraints: The technique requires specific meteorological conditions (e.g., over 50% moisture content, specific cloud types) that are often absent during Delhi’s severe pollution episodes, making it an unreliable tool.

3. Misalignment with Sustainable Development Principles

3.1. Environmental and Health Risks

The focus on such experiments introduces risks that conflict with sustainability goals:

• Ecological Harm: The dispersal of compounds like silver iodide, while in small quantities for a single experiment, can be toxic to aquatic ecosystems with prolonged or large-scale use.
• Unpredictable Consequences: Artificially modifying weather patterns can have unintended consequences, such as causing excessive rainfall and flooding in downwind areas, thereby undermining community resilience (SDG 11).

3.2. Diversion from Core Solutions

Experts express concern that high-cost, unproven technological fixes divert financial resources and political attention from addressing the root causes of pollution. This approach is reminiscent of previously failed projects, such as the ₹22.9 crore smog tower in Connaught Place, which now lies defunct. Such initiatives create a dangerous illusion that technology can solve problems caused by unchecked emissions, thereby delaying meaningful climate and environmental action (SDG 13).

4. Addressing Root Causes for Sustainable Impact

4.1. Complexity of Delhi’s Pollution

The air quality crisis in Delhi is a complex issue stemming from multiple sources, which necessitates a multi-sectoral approach aligned with the SDGs.

• Geographical and meteorological factors (low-lying basin, temperature inversions).
• Vehicular and industrial emissions.
• Construction dust.
• Stubble and biomass burning.

4.2. Recommended Focus Areas for SDG Alignment

To make meaningful progress, strategies must prioritize controlling emissions at their source. This aligns directly with several SDG targets.

1. Promote Clean Energy (SDG 7): A critical intervention is ensuring access to clean household cooking and heating energy, transitioning away from biomass fuels. Global examples show this can account for up to 90% of the reduction in human exposure to pollution.
2. Build Sustainable Infrastructure (SDG 9 & SDG 11): The focus must be on sustainable urban planning, including halting unsustainable expansion and enforcing stringent controls on construction and industrial emissions.
3. Strengthen Climate Action (SDG 13): The primary solution to air pollution is the reduction of human-driven emissions, which is also the cornerstone of climate action. A multi-scale, multi-sector approach to emission control is required.

5. Conclusion

The cloud seeding experiment in New Delhi represents a misapplication of resources and a distraction from the fundamental actions required to tackle the city’s air pollution crisis. It is not a viable or sustainable solution and runs contrary to the principles of SDG 3, SDG 11, and SDG 13. Achieving sustainable urban air quality requires a decisive shift away from technological gimmicks towards comprehensive, evidence-based policies that control emissions at their source, promote clean energy, and prioritize public health and long-term environmental integrity.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article extensively discusses the severe air pollution in New Delhi and its detrimental effects on human health. It mentions that the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached hazardous levels (between 300 and 400, and later 414) and that residents protested, stating “Breathing is killing us.” It explicitly links severe air quality to “a long list of acute and chronic health conditions” and notes that PM2.5 particulate matter can negatively impact “almost every body system, including the brain and reproductive systems.” This directly connects to the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • The core of the article revolves around a technological experiment—cloud seeding—conducted by the Delhi government in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K). This represents an investment in scientific research and innovation to tackle an urban problem. The article also mentions another technological infrastructure project, the smog tower, built at a cost of over ₹22.9 crore. The discussion critiques the effectiveness and cost of these innovations, highlighting the challenges in developing sustainable and practical infrastructure solutions.

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The article is centered on the environmental crisis in a major urban center, New Delhi. It addresses the challenge of managing urban air quality, a key aspect of making cities sustainable. The text highlights multiple sources of pollution specific to the city and its surrounding region, such as “vehicular emissions, and construction activities,” as well as “stubble burning” and “biomass burning.” The failure of expensive, high-tech solutions like smog towers and the questionable efficacy of cloud seeding underscore the difficulty in achieving urban sustainability and environmental safety for city dwellers.

   SDG 13: Climate Action

   • While not the primary focus, the article connects the issue of air pollution to broader climate action. Experts quoted in the article warn that technological fixes like cloud seeding can create a “dangerous illusion that technology alone can undo the damage of unchecked emissions” and delay “real climate action.” This frames the debate as a choice between temporary, unproven measures and addressing the root causes of pollution, which are linked to emissions and climate change.

   SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • A direct connection is made when discussing the risks of cloud seeding. The article states that the compounds used, such as silver iodide, “can be toxic to aquatic systems in large quantities.” This highlights how a land-based activity aimed at solving one environmental problem (air pollution) could potentially create another by polluting water systems, thereby affecting aquatic life.

   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The article provides a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. The cloud seeding experiment was a result of a collaboration between a government body (the Delhi government) and an academic/research institution (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur). The article mentions the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two entities, illustrating a partnership aimed at achieving a common goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article’s entire premise is based on the hazardous levels of air pollution in Delhi and the associated acute and chronic health conditions affecting its population. The public protests and expert commentary on the health impacts of PM2.5 directly relate to this target.

   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. The collaboration between the Delhi government and IIT-K on the cloud seeding project, at a cost of ₹3.21 crore, is a direct example of public spending on scientific research and technological experimentation to solve a pressing issue.

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The article focuses entirely on the failure to manage Delhi’s air quality. It provides specific data, such as the annual average fine particulate matter concentration being “24 times higher than the healthy level… recommended by the WHO,” which directly addresses the need to improve urban air quality.

   SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The debate presented in the article, with experts calling cloud seeding a “distraction from real solutions” and warning against the “dangerous illusion that technology alone can undo the damage of unchecked emissions,” contributes to raising awareness about the need for effective, long-term climate action versus short-term, unproven fixes.

   SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.1: By 2027, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. The article’s mention that silver iodide used in cloud seeding “can be toxic to aquatic systems” directly points to the risk of pollution from a land-based activity that could impact water bodies.

   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries. The formal collaboration between the Delhi government and IIT-K, established through an MoU to share expertise and technology for the cloud seeding project, is a textbook example of such a partnership at the national level.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Indicators for SDG 3 and SDG 11

   • Indicator 3.9.1 / 11.6.2: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution / Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted). The article explicitly provides quantitative data for this indicator. It states that the World Health Organisation’s database reported an “annual average fine particulate matter mass concentration of 121 µg/m³ in New Delhi,” which is far above the WHO’s recommended level of 5 µg/m³. It also mentions specific Air Quality Index (AQI) values, such as “between 300 and 400” and a peak of “414,” which are direct measures of ambient air pollution.

   Indicators for SDG 9

   • Indicator 9.5.1: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP. While the article does not provide R&D expenditure as a proportion of GDP, it does mention specific financial figures for the technological experiments, implying a focus on this type of spending. It states the cloud seeding project cost “₹3.21 crore” and the defunct smog tower was built at a cost of “over ₹22.9 crore.” These figures represent public expenditure on R&D and technological infrastructure.

   Indicators for SDG 14

   • The article implies a potential impact on water quality but does not provide a specific indicator or measurement. It mentions the risk that silver iodide “can be toxic to aquatic systems,” suggesting that an indicator would be the concentration of such pollutants in water bodies, but no data is provided.

   Indicators for SDG 13 and SDG 17

   • The article implies the existence of institutional mechanisms but does not provide quantitative indicators. For SDG 17, the existence of the “memorandum of understanding (MoU)” between the government and IIT-K serves as a qualitative indicator of a partnership. For SDG 13, the public debate and expert opinions discussed in the article serve as a qualitative measure of awareness-raising, but no specific metrics are mentioned.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.9: Substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from air, water, and soil pollution.	3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution (measured in the article by Air Quality Index (AQI) values of 300-414 and PM2.5 concentration of 121 µg/m³).
   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	9.5: Enhance scientific research and encourage innovation.	Implied 9.5.1: Research and development expenditure (mentioned as specific project costs: ₹3.21 crore for cloud seeding and over ₹22.9 crore for a smog tower).
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, paying special attention to air quality.	11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities (explicitly stated as 121 µg/m³ in New Delhi, 24 times the WHO guideline).
   SDG 13: Climate Action	13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation.	Qualitative: The article highlights the debate on effective solutions versus “gimmicks,” contributing to public awareness and institutional capacity building. No quantitative indicator is mentioned.
   SDG 14: Life Below Water	14.1: Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities.	Implied: The risk of silver iodide being “toxic to aquatic systems” points to the need to measure pollutant concentrations, but no data is provided.
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.16: Enhance partnerships complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.	Qualitative: The existence of a formal partnership (MoU) between the Delhi government and IIT-K to address air pollution.

Source: india.mongabay.com