The Central Pollution Control Board has said the feasibility of cloud seeding as an emergency measure to battle winter pollution in northern India will be limited, citing insufficient moisture and reliance on pre-existing clouds, an RTI query has revealed.
The CPCB shared its observations on a cloud seeding proposal by IIT Kanpur, which aims to combat Delhi's severe air pollution crisis through artificial rainfall.
The information was shared in response to a Right to Information query filed by activist Amit Gupta on October 24.
According to the CPCB, cloud seeding faces significant challenges due to insufficient moisture in the air and the dependency on pre-existing clouds influenced by Western Disturbances.
"As per IIT Kanpur (proponent), the mandatory requirement of successful cloud seeding is the availability of appropriate clouds with enough moisture content (clouds having 50 per cent or higher moisture content).
"In northern India, winter clouds are often influenced by Wester