Responding to Delhi government’s artificial rain trial, environmental experts have called it a short-term measure. Environmentalists have said that this may reduce pollution temporarily, but it will not solve the root causes of the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. In fact, the Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, conducted a trial on Tuesday (28 October) to provide artificial rainfall in some parts of the city.

Environmentalist Vimalendu Jha said, “Rain can reduce pollution, but it is only a temporary solution, which can provide relief for a few days. This cannot be done every time.” He said that the government should focus on tackling pollution at the grassroots level.

Artificial rain also affects soil and water bodies – Expert

Vimalendu Jha questioned, “Artificial rain also affects the soil and water bodies because chemicals like sulfur and iodide are sprayed for it. Moreover, this approach is city-specific, what about pollutants coming from neighboring states?”

Author and clean air advocate Jyoti Pandey Lavrey compared the artificial rain test to previous short-term measures such as ‘smog towers’. He said, “The only way to reduce pollution is to reduce emissions, for which no one is ready.” Adding chemicals to clouds or air is for show, not for real change,” he said, adding that recent policy decisions like withdrawal of emission norms for thermal power plants have weakened pollution control efforts.

‘Such options should not be seen as solutions’

Kriti Gupta, another environmentalist, said that such options can be considered, but should not be seen as solutions in themselves. “We should be prepared for scientific trials, but should not prioritize them as the only option,” he said. Citizen awareness, reduced use of private transport, control of dust sources and better waste management are necessary for sustainable improvement.

Artificial rain trial to provide relief from air pollution

Artificial rain was tested on Tuesday in an effort to provide relief to Delhi from air pollution. Last week also, the aircraft had carried out a test flight to spray chemicals for artificial rain in Burari area. During this period, limited spraying of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds was done. However, the effort did not succeed due to atmospheric moisture levels being less than 20 percent, compared to 50 percent required for successful artificial rainfall.

As soon as the start of October in India, the weather has taken a turn. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rains, thunderstorms and snowfall across the country from 4 to 7 October. Yellow, Orange and Red Alerts have been issued in many states. In Delhi-NCR these days, there is a pleasant weather between mild coolness and clouds, but the weather is going to change from October 6. There is a possibility of strong rains and thunderstorms during this period. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert till 7 October.

In Uttar Pradesh, there is continuous rains for the last 24 hours. Many districts including Lucknow received heavy rains on Friday night. Deoria, Ballia and Kushinagar are alert of very heavy rainfall. At the same time, the possibility of hailstorm has been expressed in western UP from 5 to 7 October.

Effect of rain in Bihar-Jammu and Kashmir

The effect of rain in Bihar has also intensified. Yellow alert has been issued in 35 districts including Patna, Bhagalpur, Siwan and Buxar and Orange Alert in 3 districts. The effect of the pressure made in the Bay of Bengal is clearly visible here and till October 5, its effect will increase further. The first snowfall of the season was recorded at Gulmarg and Synchron Top of Kashmir Valley. Rain and snowfall are likely to increase due to western disturbance from 5 October. For this reason, Vaishno Devi Yatra has been stopped from 5 to 7 October.

Alert on Cyclone ‘Shakti’ in Maharashtra

In view of the danger of Cyclone ‘Shakti’ in Maharashtra, the Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a high alert from 3 to 7 October 2025. The intensity of this cyclone will be of high to moderate level. It can cause heavy havoc in coastal districts as well as Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan regions. Special precautions have been advised to take special precautions in coastal districts like Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

West Bengal and Odisha’s condition including Rajasthan

The effect of western disturbance is visible in Rajasthan. Alwar, Dholpur, Karauli, Nagaur and Jodhpur have received rain. There is alert of heavy rains in Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions on 5 and 6 October, while light to moderate rains are likely to continue in Jaipur and Udaipur till 7 October. The impact of the pressure on the Bay of Bengal is clearly visible in West Bengal and Odisha. Hooghly, Bankura, Purulia and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal have alert of heavy rains. More than 20 cm of rain has been warned in Puri, Ganjam, Koraput and Kandhamal districts of Odisha. Red has been issued in 7 districts in Odisha and Orange Alerts in 16 districts.

Monsoon active again in Jharkhand-Madhya Pradesh

In Jharkhand too, there is a threat of heavy rains till October 4. Dumka, Godda, Pakur, Chatra and Garhwa can be the most affected. There is a possibility of damage to crops, landslides and waterlogging due to lightning and strong winds. The monsoon has become active again due to systems from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in Madhya Pradesh. There is a possibility of rain for a week. Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir continue to alert heavy rains and snowfall.

Weather conditions in other parts of India
By 7 October, the effect of heavy rains will be seen in North India (Delhi-NCR, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Jammu and Jammu and Kashmir). Flood -like conditions can be created in eastern India (Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha). There will be rain in Central India (MP and Chhattisgarh), while heavy rains are also likely in the coastal districts of Andhra and Telangana in South India.

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