The provincial government announced on Saturday that artificial rain was deployed for the first time in Pakistan to tackle harmful levels of smog in the megacity of Lahore.
Planes outfitted with cloud-seeding equipment flew over 10 sections of the city, which is frequently regarded as one of the worst places in the world for air pollution, in the first experiment of its type in the South Asian country.
According to Punjab’s acting chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi, the gift came from the United Arab Emirates.
“Teams from the UAE, along with two planes, arrived here about 10 to 12 days ago. They used 48 flares to create the rain”, Mohsin Naqvi explained.
The UAE has increasingly adopted cloud seeding, sometimes known as artificial rain or blue-skying, to manufacture rain in the country’s parched expanse.
Weather modification entails injecting ordinary salt – or a mixture of salts – into clouds. The crystals stimulate condensation, which results in rain. It is used in several nations, including the United States, China, and India.
According to scientists, even light rain can help reduce pollution.
Pakistan’s air pollution has worsened in recent years, as a combination of low-grade diesel emissions, smoke from seasonal crop fires, and colder winter temperatures combine to form stagnant 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 dangerous 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.
According to the WHO, prolonged exposure can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses.
With little or no success, successive administrations have tried a variety of techniques to minimize air pollution in Lahore, such as spraying water on the roads and closing schools, factories, and marketplaces on weekends.
When questioned about a long-term strategy to tackle smog, the chief minister stated the government needed to research to develop one.
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