The Punjab government has taken an innovative step to counter worsening air quality by planning an artificial rain experiment in Rawalpindi. With major urban centers, including Lahore, suffering severe pollution levels, authorities aim to mitigate the effects of smog by inducing rainfall.
Officials indicated that the success of this initiative would depend on a sufficient cloud cover over the area. Environmental and other relevant departments have already been dispatched to oversee and facilitate the operation in Rawalpindi.
This move follows a period of extreme air quality deterioration in Punjab, with Lahore recently ranking among the world’s most polluted cities. The worsening smog prompted authorities to close sections of the motorway over the weekend due to limited visibility. It is reported that wind currents from neighboring India may be contributing to Lahore’s pollution, further intensifying the region’s smog and spreading it to nearby areas, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The UAE has offered technical assistance to Pakistan for managing smog effects. Last December, the UAE supported Pakistan in a similar initiative by conducting a cloud seeding experiment in Lahore, marking Pakistan’s first such trial.
