‘CONSIDER CLOUD SEEDING, BRING BACK ODDEVEN TO TACKLE SMOG’

The Delhi high court asked the Centre and the city government on Thursday to consider cloud seeding as a way to create artificial rain to reduce a sudden build-up of pollution in the national capital region.

Calling the toxic smog an “emergency situation”, the HC judges S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva also directed the secretary of the Union environment ministry and the chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to meet within three days and draw up an action plan.

“The official shall also consider the feasibility of cloud seeding,” the bench said, adding that Bengaluru had used the technology to make artificial rain.

The HC also directed the city government to consider introducing the odd-even scheme, which restricts alternate days for using vehicles depending on registration number. This, the court said, was necessary to unclog the city. The comments came on a day the country’s environment and human rights watchdogs said the pollution build-up was life threatening. The court was of the opinion that though stubble burning is the “visible villain”, the authorities should address the “other elephant in the room”, such as dust generated by road and construction activity and industries.

The court directed the government and other authorities to ensure there is washing of Capital’s roads to stop generation of dust. It also directed immediate ban on felling of trees.

NEW DELHI: