Artificial Rain In Delhi On November 20-21? IIT Team's Plan To Tackle Smog

Delhi Ministers Gopal Rai and Atishi held a meeting with a team from IIT Kanpur, which proposed that artificial rain may help amid the air emergency

The Arvind Kejriwal government is planning a spell of artificial rain in Delhi on November 20-21 to provide relief to residents gasping due to a sharp dip in air quality over the past one week. The air quality index in the national capital has remained in the 'severe' category for seven days in a row due to a combination of crop residue burning in neighbouring states and local factors such as vehicular emissions.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai and Finance Minister Atishi held a meeting with a team from IIT Kanpur, which proposed that a spell of artificial rain may help amid the air emergency in the national capital.

The Delhi government has now asked the IIT team for a detailed plan. It will submit this plan in Supreme Court on Friday. The court is hearing a bunch of petitions seeking urgent steps to address Delhi's toxic air days. If the Supreme Court gives a go-ahead, the Delhi government and the centre will take steps to implement the plan.