LAHORE: The Punjab government has finalized preparations for inducing artificial rain in a bid to tackle the growing smog crisis as winter approaches, announced Punjab’s senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb.
She stated that resources have been allocated for this initiative under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
“A single session of artificial rain will cost between 5 to 7 million rupees,” Marriyum shared, adding that the rain will be induced with the assistance of the Meteorological Department.
The artificial rain process will adhere to international standards, and Marriyum urged the public to participate in the collective effort to successfully mitigate the smog issue.
It’s important to note that on December 16, 2023, the Punjab government conducted a trial for artificial rain through cloud-seeding over a limited area in Lahore to reduce smog. The experiment, carried out with the help of the UAE, resulted in rainfall over approximately 10 percent of Lahore.
At that time, the caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi reported that 48 flares were deployed during the experiment, which had begun monitoring the weather early in the morning.
Naqvi emphasized that the artificial rain initiative demonstrated the government’s commitment to finding solutions to the environmental challenges posed by smog. The upcoming artificial rain sessions will further build on this groundwork, with hopes to significantly reduce the adverse effects of smog in the region.
