Delhi Chokes: Fake Rain, Real Dust-Up
Hazy Capital’s Rain Gamble Fizzles
New Delhi: Delhi woke up to another choking morning as the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered between 310 and 340 today, placing it in the “very poor” to “hazardous” category. The sharpest deterioration was observed at Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, and R.K. Puram, where readings crossed 350, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). The air was thick with particulate matter, reducing visibility below 800 metres in several zones. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) continued to enforce Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the Delhi-National Capital Region, including bans on construction and restrictions on diesel vehicles.
The spike came barely a day after Delhi conducted India’s most advanced weather-modification trial in an effort to combat prolonged haze. The State government yesterday executed its first full-scale cloud-seeding experiment, deploying two modified aircraft to disperse silver-iodide and sodium-chloride flares over parts of Burari, Karol Bagh, and Central Delhi. Preliminary radar data, reviewed in a meeting held today between the Delhi Government and scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, indicated limited but detectable moisture formation and a modest cooling effect across target zones. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the seeding yielded a “positive atmospheric response under marginally conducive conditions,” adding that a second trial would be considered next week depending on meteorological advice from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The cloud-seeding project has been in development since mid-2025. In June, the Delhi Government announced that it had obtained permissions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs for pilot operations. On 26 September, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with IIT Kanpur, confirming a trial window between October and November. The government formally declared on October 15 that all technical and regulatory hurdles had been cleared, calling the announcement the “official green light” for the artificial rain initiative. Tuesday’s operation was the outcome of that clearance rather than a reaction to worsening smog. Sirsa reiterated today that the earlier clearance date remains the benchmark for regulatory compliance and that all environmental safety checks were completed before the flights took off on 28 October.
At peak evening hours, the composite AQI across Delhi’s central monitoring stations hovered around 330, reflecting “very poor to hazardous” conditions in several residential and commercial pockets. However, CPCB’s 24-hour mean for the day settled between 270 and 300—categorised as “poor to very poor.” The variation stems from intra-day peaks and site-specific fluctuations recorded by real-time sources such as IQAir and SAFAR. The difference reflects the gap between instantaneous exposure and daily averages, giving a more immediate picture of the pollution residents actually face.
Highway Haze? NHAI’s Green Sweepstakes
Meanwhile, surface-level interventions were also expanded. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced a series of targeted measures through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to mitigate highway-related pollution in Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR). A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been circulated to all NHAI field offices, addressing both operational and construction-linked pollution sources. The SOP calls for mechanised road sweeping, greening of medians and interchanges, regular plantation using the Miyawaki method for dense forestation along highways, and the mandatory use of tarpaulin covers for transporting construction materials. It also prescribes routine inspections to ensure pothole-free roads and minimise dust suspension. At construction sites, it mandates continuous water sprinkling, the use of anti-smog guns, and the covering of materials with green nets to prevent particulate emissions.
The framework emphasises monitoring air quality indices at project sites and ensuring adherence to CAQM and Central and State Pollution Control Board guidelines. Contractors and concessionaires are now required to maintain detailed records of compliance, supported by regular audits from authority engineers and field officers. The SOP also makes training and awareness programmes compulsory for contractors and workers while providing a mechanism for citizens to report violations through the Green Delhi App. In a recent review meeting chaired by Alok Deepankar, Member (Technical) of NHAI, all field units and contractors were instructed to mobilise manpower and resources “on a war footing” to contain dust and vehicular pollution. He reiterated that NHAI’s mandate extends beyond infrastructure to environmental protection, and urged faster execution of dust mitigation measures.
While the NHAI plan strengthens surface-level accountability, the Delhi Government’s atmospheric experiment reflects a growing sense of urgency. Persistent temperature inversion and stagnant wind patterns have trapped pollutants close to the ground, preventing dispersal. SAFAR’s meteorological data indicate that wind speeds remain below 5 km/h with negligible boundary layer mixing, conditions that favour smog accumulation. Experts note that the city’s particulate concentration this week—PM2.5 averaging 190 micrograms per cubic metre—remains six times higher than the World Health Organization’s permissible limit.
In recent days, the Delhi Government has intensified coordination with CAQM and adjoining state agencies in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to monitor stubble burning, which satellite imagery shows has increased sharply in Punjab’s border districts. The combination of crop residue fires, vehicular emissions, and dust from infrastructure projects has aggravated the capital’s already fragile air quality. Officials at the Ministry of Environment said that cloud seeding was conceived as a “scientifically monitored emergency supplement” rather than a long-term solution, pending regional enforcement of emission controls.
Despite the grim numbers, both the Centre and the Delhi Government insist that coordinated steps are being taken to restore breathable air. The Ministry of Road Transport’s SOP aims to institutionalise environmental safeguards along critical urban corridors, while the artificial-rain trial seeks to explore new technologies under controlled supervision. Together, they represent a dual approach—immediate mitigation and structural reform—amid Delhi’s continuing struggle against one of the world’s most persistent urban air-quality crises.
– global bihari bureau
