LAHORE: The artificial rain has worked in Lahore as the Air Quality Index (AQI) of city improved significantly on Sunday. The first experiment of artificial rain was executed yesterday in Lahore and it helped in eliminating the smog.
The AQI was recorded at 189 in Lahore and it made the metropolitan as the sixth most polluted city of the world. Earlier, Lahore remained at the top of the list among the polluted cities for many days. A day earlier, Lahore’s AQI was recorded at 354, just before the artificial rain.
Two special aircraft arrived from the UAE and carried 48 flares near Shahdara and Muridke in the first flight. Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi said that the artificial rain was experienced at 10 different points of Lahore.
Artificial rain or cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that aims to stimulate precipitation, and is performed by introducing different substances, such as salt flares, into clouds that promote the formation of raindrops or snowflakes.
This technique is widely used for rainfall in areas that experience drought or suffer from poor air quality. According to the WHO, air pollution kills 4.2 million people around the world every year.
An AQI level of 400-500 impacts healthy people and is dangerous to those with existing diseases, while a level of 150-200 brings discomfort to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Levels of 0-50 are considered good.
