Smog Solutions Stalled: Efforts to Seed Clouds in Twin Cities Are Delayed
A novel plan to reduce the smoke in Rawalpindi and Islamabad by making it rain artificially has run into a problem. With the help of the Punjab government, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) hoped that the cloud seeding project would cut down on the bad air pollution in the area. Technical problems and bad cloud conditions, on the other hand, have forced officials to halt the operation temporarily.
Cloud seeding is held up by technical issues and a lack of approval.
Right now there are clouds over the Twin Cities, but the EPD found that they are not dense enough to effectively seed clouds. Safety and suitability problems also mean that the action has not been cleared by the aircraft and weather officials. The project has been put on hold until further notice.
High costs and few opportunities for cloud seeding to work
With cloud seeding possible across a larger area, including Lahore, officials are hoping that things will get better soon. Another big problem is that the process will cost a lot of money—between Rs. 250 million and Rs. 300 million. This budget need stresses how important good weather is for the project’s success and cost-effectiveness.
Understanding Cloud Seeding: The Science Behind Man-Made Rainfall
Chemicals like sodium chloride and silver iodide are sprayed into the clouds from planes that are between 2,000 and 4,000 feet in the air. These tiny particles help ice crystals form inside clouds, which makes the clouds denser and causes it to rain. Still, this method is hard to use regularly because the best results rely on certain weather conditions.
Smog Solution in the Dark: What the Future Holds for Islamabad and Rawalpindi
Since the cloud spraying program was cancelled, people in Twin City no longer have a short way to deal with the smog problem. The government is closely monitoring the weather to see if cloud seeding can be done again in the future, since problems with air quality are still affecting health and sight. But for now, the fight against pollution is just a waiting game. People are hoping that nature will give us the break we need in the next few weeks.
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