Delhi woke up to a thick, choking haze this Diwali, with air pollution levels soaring to some of the highest ever recorded in the city’s recent history. Despite a Supreme Court order that restricted the use of firecrackers to so-called "green" varieties and limited their use to brief windows, the capital was blanketed in toxic smog, leaving millions gasping for breath and authorities scrambling for solutions, including a historic bid at artificial rain.
According to The Federal, by the morning after Diwali, average PM2.5 levels in Delhi had reached unprecedented highs—far above the safe limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) confirmed that Diwali 2025 ranked among the five worst years for air quality in the city. The Swiss air-monitoring organization IQAir rated Delhi’s air as "unhealthy" on October 24, 2025, with PM2.5 levels more than 20 times the WHO’s recommended limit. For context, London’s and New York’s PM2.5 readings were 17 and 21, respectively, compared to Delhi’s staggering 200.
So, what went wrong? The Supreme Court had allowed the use of “green crackers” for a maximum of three hours on Diwali, hoping this would balance tradition and environmental health. The court’s decision was meant to reduce emissions by nearly 30 percent compared to traditional fireworks. But as The Independent reported, the restrictions were widely flouted. Fireworks continued well past midnight, and by Tuesday morning, the city was enveloped in a dense blanket of smog, reducing visibility to a few hundred meters. AQI readings at Mandir Marg and Lodhi Road surged beyond 1,300—more than three times the "severe" threshold of 400, a level considered hazardous for everyone, not just those with respiratory or heart conditions.
Environmentalists were quick to point out that the Supreme Court’s nod to green crackers had little practical effect. Vimlendu Jha, a prominent environmentalist, told The Federal, “This year … we’ve seen the Supreme Court of India actually give its nod to green firecrackers and despite those directions, we’ve seen those rules being flouted.” He added, “Green firecrackers perhaps pollute 30 per cent or 35 per cent less. If anyone in Delhi NCR was there, the AQI itself is a testimony to the fact that there was nothing called green firecrackers. It was just a greenwash.”
And the problem wasn’t just the fireworks. Experts, as cited by The Federal and Reuters, noted that local sources such as vehicles, road dust, construction, and industries contributed significantly to the pollution, while crop residue burning in neighboring states was only about a quarter of previous years. Despite voluntary efforts by these states to limit stubble burning, Delhi’s air quality still deteriorated, largely due to a surge in local emissions and unfavorable meteorological conditions. With temperatures dropping and wind speeds nearly stagnant, pollutants were trapped close to the ground, creating a lethal mix, especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
Faced with this crisis, Delhi’s government turned to an unprecedented solution: artificial rain. On October 23, 2025, Delhi conducted its first-ever cloud seeding trial flight from IIT Kanpur to the Burari area, aiming to induce rain that could wash away the city’s airborne toxins. Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed the trial as a significant technological milestone, announcing on X (formerly Twitter), “For the first time in Delhi, preparations have been completed to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding, marking a significant technological milestone in the capital’s fight against air pollution. Experts on Thursday successfully conducted a trial test in the Burari area.”
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa echoed the optimism, declaring, “It’s a historic day for Delhi. The first-ever successful trial flight for cloud seeding was conducted at IIT Kanpur… We are ready…” Both officials suggested that if weather conditions remained favorable, Delhi could experience its first artificial rain on October 29, 2025. The plan was to release a mix of silver iodide, iodized salt, and rock salt into moisture-rich clouds, with the hope that these particles would act as seeds for raindrops, triggering rainfall to cleanse the city’s atmosphere.
But not everyone was convinced. As The Hindu and Reuters reported, scientists and environmental experts expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of cloud seeding as a long-term solution. Shahzad Ghani, an assistant professor at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at IIT Delhi, criticized the plan, writing, “Delhi's plan for cloud seeding in reality is a textbook case of science misapplied and ethics ignored. Snake-oil solutions will not clear the air in Delhi or the rest of North India. Instead, courage is required on the ground: to reduce the sources of pollution and pursue equitable, evidence-based action. Anything less is not just misplaced science – it is an ethical failure, a diversion from the patient, unglamorous work needed to ensure clean air throughout the year.”
Cloud seeding is hardly a new idea. The World Meteorological Organization notes that it was first trialed in the United States around World War II and is now used in more than 50 countries, including China, which has the world’s largest program. China has used artificial rain to clear smog for major events, such as the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 60th anniversary parade of Communist Party rule. The UAE and the US have also used cloud seeding to increase rainfall or clear fog. However, as Reuters pointed out, its effectiveness and environmental impact remain uncertain. Studies suggest cloud seeding can boost precipitation by 5 to 15 percent under suitable conditions, but the main stumbling block is measuring its true success. There are also concerns about potential environmental side effects, such as increased river runoff or even geo-political disputes if rainfall is diverted from one region to another.
Even if artificial rain provides temporary relief, experts warn that it is no substitute for sustained actions to curb emissions from vehicles, construction, and crop residue burning. As The Federal emphasized, the next 60 days following Diwali are particularly critical for Delhi NCR, as weather conditions are likely to keep pollutants trapped close to the ground. This period is especially dangerous for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. According to a report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, Delhi’s air pollution in 2025 is projected to reduce the average life expectancy of its residents by about 12 years compared to levels deemed safe by the WHO. As Jha put it, “When it comes to air quality, we cannot allow any deviant behaviour … our children’s right to breathe is a priority and everything else is secondary.”
This year’s Diwali has sent a clear message: technological fixes like green crackers and artificial rain may help, but they are not panaceas. Without robust enforcement of regulations and a determined effort to tackle pollution at its source, Delhi’s air quality crisis will persist—and so will the risks to the health and wellbeing of its citizens.
As the city waits anxiously for the promised artificial rain, the lesson is clear. Clean air is not a privilege; it’s a right. Only meaningful, year-round action can ensure that future Diwalis—and every day in between—are safe to breathe.
