Lahore experienced a slight improvement in smog levels on Sunday, but the Punjab government is still pursuing plans to create artificial rain to combat the worsening air quality and protect millions from pollution.
According to state-run media, the provincial government successfully conducted an artificial rain trial using local technology to reduce smog. State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that “cloud seeding” was carried out in Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, and Gujar Khan on Friday, resulting in rainfall in Jhelum and Gujar Khan within hours.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that enhances a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by introducing tiny ice nuclei into subfreezing clouds.
In December last year, a similar cloud seeding experiment was conducted in Lahore with assistance from the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE deployed two specialized aircraft and a technical team, which waited in Lahore for favorable conditions before executing the operation.
Punjab, particularly its cultural capital Lahore, has been shrouded in toxic smog since last month. Smog forms when cold air traps dust, low-grade diesel emissions, and smoke from illegal crop stubble burning, severely impacting air quality.
