Worst PM2.5 levels since January: What is cloud seeding? Can it help with Delhi's pollution?

NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded its worst PM2.5 levels of the year on Diwali and the day after, with pollution continuing to blanket the city well into midweek, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Despite attempts to control emissions, several neighbourhoods reported hazardous air quality levels, crossing both national and global safety limits by staggering margins. The CREA study found that Delhi’s average PM2.5 concentration stood at 228 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) on Diwali and rose further to 241 µg/m³ the following day — levels seen only four times this year, all in January. The capital ranked as the seventh most polluted city in the country on Tuesday, trailing Haryana’s Jind (412), Dharuhera (298), Gurgaon (290), Narnaul (266),