One of India’s leading cloud-seeding experts Thara Prabhakaran explains to SOPHIYA MATHEW how cloud-seeding works, the challenges, and its possible impact. The upshot: it’s a complex process with many variables; deeper research is needed before outcomes become predictable.

What does it take to carry out a cloud-seeding operation of the kind the Delhi government attempted on Tuesday?

Clouds are very complex phenomena. The formation and growth of clouds, and the precipitation they bring depend on various factors such as moisture, aerosols (suspended small solid particles or liquid droplets in the atmosphere), and anthropogenic emissions (gases and particles released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities).

Moisture incursion [into the clouds] is vital – for example, due to th

See Full Page