climate change
For the first time in Pakistan, artificial rain has been deployed to tackle deadly levels of smog in the megacity of Lahore. On Saturday, planes equipped with cloud-seeding equipment flew over 10 regions of the city, which is frequently regarded as one of the worst places in the world for air pollution.
The “gift” was donated by the United Arab Emirates, according to Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi.
“Teams from the UAE, along with two planes, arrived here about 10 to 12 days ago. They used 48 flares to create the rain,” he told the members of the press.
He said the team would know by Saturday night what effect the “artificial rain” had. The UAE is increasingly adopting cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain or blue-skying, to manufacture rain across the country’s parched expanse.
Weather modification is injecting ordinary salt — or a mixture of salts — into clouds. The crystals stimulate condensation, which results in rain. It is used in a number of nations, including the United States, China, and India. According to scientists, even light rain can help reduce pollution.
In recent years, air pollution in Pakistan has worsened as a combination of low-grade diesel emissions, smoke from seasonal crop burn-off, and colder winter temperatures merge into stationary clouds of smog.
The deadly pollution has the greatest impact on Lahore, suffocating the lungs of more than 11 million citizens throughout the winter season.
PM2.5 pollution cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs was measured as hazardous in Lahore on Saturday, exceeding the World Health Organization’s danger guidelines by more than 66 times. Breathing in the noxious air has disastrous health implications.
