According to media reports, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) proposed using artificial rains, which help to clear pollutants and dust particles through cloud seeding.
The researchers have also got permission from all the concerned authorities, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Special Protection Group responsible for the prime minister's security, to fly aircraft for cloud seeding.
So far, officials are not speaking on the matter, but in September, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai told media that the city government is exploring all the options to combat air pollution, including cloud seeding, which will lead to artificial rains.
"To create artificial rains or for cloud seeding, we require specific weather conditions, like adequate moisture in the cloud, wind conditions," Sunil Dahiya, senior analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) told Sputnik India.
"Even if government successfully manages to create artificial rain, it will be a temporary relief," he further added.
In the past, South Korea and China have successfully attempted artificial rains to reduce air pollution in their countries. The first artificial rain experiment is dated just after the Second World War, in 1946. Since then, about 60 countries have used some sort of cloud seeding. India first used the technology in 1952, primarily for agriculture cause or drought mitigation.