Environmental activists fear that these measures will be expensive and short-term, and that authorities will use them as a cushion so they don’t have to address the underlying causes of the pollution.

New Delhi is the capital city in the world with the worst air quality. The smog causes major health problems for around 30 million people living in and around New Delhi. Levels of cancer-causing microparticles are often 30 times higher than the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to WHO, this pollution can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases, and the lifespan of the population is estimated to be reduced by an average of twelve years.

Have tried many times before

Authorities sometimes have to close schools to protect students and teachers from emissions. They have also tried to solve this problem by banning diesel cars, but to no avail.

Now they have asked experts to develop technology that means aircraft and ground systems will create artificial rain to clear the air

Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur said that even a small amount of rain would help reduce pollution.

Have no faith

This technology involves the release of various forms of salt into the cloud layer. Salt crystals contribute to condensation that turns into rain.

However, environmental expert Bhavreen Kandhari believes that these measures are not very effective and points out that they are also very expensive.

– There is a danger that this will waste public funds and valuable time, he said.

[ Klimautslippene går ikke ned: – Ikke i rute i det hele tatt (+) ]

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