To counter the rising air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Delhi government is planning to use artificial rain through cloud seeding. The mechanism is being developed by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.  Environment Minister Gopal Rai met with a team from IIT Kanpur on November 8 to discuss the implementation of the cloud seeding. He informed that Delhi might experience artificial rainfall if the skies of the city remain cloudy on November 20-21.

Professor Manindra Agrawal from Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur shared some insights on the working and implementation of the process.

“IIT Kanpur has its own aircraft that has been attached with flares for implementing cloud seeding. We have also received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the flares and aircraft. We can now carry on with the process of cloud seeding to create artificial rain wherever possible,” said Prof Agrawal.

“IIT Kanpur has been working and planning in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the past two months to introduce measures and steps for curbing air pollution in the national capital region with the help of cloud seeding,” said Prof Agarwal. “The Delhi government has recently reached out to the institute multiple times to seek help for creating artificial rain in the city,” he said.

Talking about the efficiency of the process, the professor added, “Countering or controlling pollution through cloud seeding is not a permanent solution. It is a temporary process and lasts for a maximum of two weeks. The dust particles present in the atmosphere are washed away in the artificial rains created and gets settled in the soil making the environment pollution-free. The process will result in a temporary relief to the people. Also, the artificial rains can be formed only at places where clouds are present. To eliminate pollution permanently from the atmosphere, we must try and work on introducing measures to counter the sources of pollution in the atmosphere.”

The Delhi NCR region is spread over an area of more than 1,000 square kilometres, he said. The institute will therefore require to do cloud seeding in a very large area. He also explained that creation of artificial rains depends on the presence and kind of clouds in a region which is not under human control. The cost of the entire process is quite expensive as the aircraft charges, its fuel maintenance, flares are a bit costly.
 

Heavy rains in Tamil Nadu have prompted the closure of schools today in six districts across the state. 

The affected areas include Madurai, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Theni, and Tiruppur, as well as specific taluks in the Nilgiris.

The Nilgiris, particularly Kotagiri, bore the brunt of the downpour, receiving a staggering 23 cm of rain. Meanwhile, pockets of Coimbatore experienced 15 cm, and parts of Nagapattinam district saw 9 cm of rainfall within a 24-hour period.

The Meteorological Department forecasts heavy to very heavy rains in key districts, including Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari. Authorities anticipate challenges such as waterlogging, tree falls, and slippery roads, along with a rise in water body levels.

Despite concerns about flooding, Chennai has managed to avoid major inundation so far. The construction of storm water drains has aided in mitigation efforts, although worries persist about unfinished stretches at over a hundred locations. Dr. J Radhakrishnan, the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, assures “Dedicated monitoring to pump out water in case of flooding”.

From October 1 to yesterday, Tamil Nadu recorded 19 cm of rain from the northeast monsoon, slightly below the normal 23 cm. The northeast monsoon is crucial for the state’s drinking water requirements and irrigation needs.

The Northeast Monsoon has been active throughout the state and Chennai and surrounding areas, too, received rainfall. 

A deadly fire erupted on a moving double-decker sleeper bus along the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway Wednesday night, leaving two passengers dead and 29 others with severe injuries, police said. The blaze, which broke out at 8:30 pm, plunged the bus into a blazing inferno, leaving those on board scrambling for survival.

Those injured were admitted to Gurugram’s Civil Hospital in Sector 10.

“All injured have suffered 30 to 50 per cent burns but are stable,” a doctor at the hospital said. 

The incident took place on the main expressway connecting Delhi and Jaipur, near the Jharsa flyover.

“Three fire engines were rushed to the spot after we received information that a sleeper bus with registration number AR 01 K 7707 had caught fire on the carriageway,” Fire Department Deputy Director Gulshan Kalra told news agency PTI.

Horrifying visuals from the incident showed the bus engulfed in flames, with plumes of smoke rising into the night sky.