Lahore, Pakistan. Artificial rain vs. smog. The first procedure of its kind in this region

Smog is a serious problem not only in this part of the world. Many Asian countries, including Pakistan, also suffer from this problem. To combat the exhausting pollution, Lahore city authorities decided to artificially plant rain clouds.

The initiative, supported by the United Arab Emirates, included aircraft equipped with cloud seeding equipment. Last weekend, it flew over 10 areas of the city.

“The teams, with two planes, arrived here about 10 to 12 days ago,” said Mohsin Naqvi, Prime Minister of Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital.

Cloud seeding involves releasing a mixture of salts into the clouds, whose crystals facilitate water condensation, which can lead to precipitation. Rain then washes pollutants from the air, bringing relief to residents. To date, this process has been used in many countries, including the United States, China and India.

However, cloud seeding technology is causing great controversy. Ghulam Rasool of the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned that while the solution may provide temporary relief from the smog, it is not permanent. Its frequent use can contribute to dry weather conditions, which will make the smog more persistent.

Malik Amin Aslam, a former advisor to the Pakistani prime minister on environmental issues, added that the government should “explore the consequences of interfering with nature” and use technology wisely. He also explained that such solutions may divert attention from combating sources of smog, such as transportation, industrial emissions, burning waste, and the diminishing area of ​​green spaces.