Delhi’s Air Crisis Deepens: Cloud Seeding Fails as Punjab Farm Fires Rise Sharply

Attempts to clear Delhi’s toxic air through cloud seeding on Tuesday have failed to bring any respite, even as a sharp rise in farm fire incidents in Punjab threatens to worsen the national capital’s already hazardous air quality.

According to official data, Punjab recorded 890 stubble-burning cases between September 15 and October 27, with 147 fires reported in a single day on October 27 — the highest this season. The majority of these cases have been concentrated in Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Ferozepur districts, showing a worrying surge in agricultural residue burning.

☁️ Cloud Seeding Yields No Rain, No Relief

Delhi authorities carried out cloud seeding trials to trigger artificial rainfall and wash pollutants out of the atmosphere. However, the dry weather conditions and inadequate cloud cover rendered the operation largely ineffective.

As a result, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained in the “poor” to “very poor” category, averaging around 275, with PM2.5 levels exceeding 170 µg/m³ — nearly three times higher than the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“The lack of cloud formation and dry atmosphere made cloud seeding ineffective,” said a senior scientist involved in the operation.

🔥 Punjab’s Stubble Burning Surges Again

Despite claims of a 70% reduction in stubble burning over the past year, Punjab has witnessed a rapid increase in cases this season. Experts attribute the spike to the tight harvest window between the Kharif and Rabi cropping cycles, forcing farmers to burn leftover paddy straw to prepare fields quickly for wheat sowing.

Officials warn that since nearly half of Punjab’s paddy crop is yet to be harvested, the number of fires is likely to increase significantly in the coming days. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has called for urgent interventions to prevent a repeat of previous years’ air quality crises.

🌫️ Delhi’s Pollution Outlook Remains Grim

Meteorological experts predict that the capital’s air quality will remain poor to very poor at least until the end of October, with conditions likely to worsen as winter approaches.

Low wind speeds, rising humidity, and temperature inversions — which trap pollutants close to the ground — are expected to create thicker, longer-lasting smog layers over the city.

“Without natural rainfall or strong winds, pollutants will continue to accumulate,” warned officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The failure of cloud seeding as an emergency measure has reignited debates about sustainable pollution control, with experts emphasizing the need for long-term agricultural reforms, cleaner transport solutions, and regional coordination to tackle North India’s recurring smog crisis.

Originally published on newsworldstime.com.