Delhi Winter Action Plan:  In an urgent letter to Bhupender Yadav, the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai requested the immediate convening of a meeting with interested parties to assess cloud seeding as a potential solution to reduce wintertime air pollution in Delhi and get the required authorisation.

Rai wrote to Yadav, expressing his belief that, given the city's wintertime air quality, especially during Diwali, it is essential to evaluate the viability of artificial rain. Cloud seeding cannot be implemented at any specific location without prior approval from several Union government entities.

In order to assess cloud seeding as an emergency solution and obtain the required clearances, Rai requests an immediate conference with all relevant parties, including representatives from the MoEFCC, Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and India Meteorological Department (IMD), among others.

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The Delhi government has begun developing a "Winter Action Plan" for the nation's capital to combat recurrent air pollution, as reported by News18 on Wednesday. The plan is expected to centre on creating artificial rain during the winter months to mitigate air pollution.

Rai stated on Wednesday that while there were 110 good, satisfactory, and moderate days in 2016, there were 206 in 2023 as a result of teamwork.

This time, in case the air quality worsens, the city government is looking at other options for providing emergency assistance. Last year, the Delhi government requested that IIT Kanpur provide a thorough presentation on cloud seeding as a backup plan for days when the air quality was dangerous.

Delhi's Winter Action Plan

Rai will convene a meeting with all relevant departments on September 5 to discuss the Winter Action Plan, and a collaborative action plan will be formulated. During the meeting, certain responsibilities will be assigned to various departments according to the Winter Action Plan's focus points.

Every year, especially around Diwali, Delhi's air quality deteriorates to dangerous levels, prompting the authorities to close schools and halt building projects.