LAHORE: The Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Friday that artificial rain will be induced in Lahore to tackle smog once the weather becomes favourable.
According to the PMD, Lahore has not witnessed any rainfall in the last month and this increase in smog intensity can be attributed to this fact. The MET office has also stated that there will be no rain in Lahore in the coming few days and because of this, it has been decided to artificially induce rain in the city.
Last month, Dunya News reported that the artificial rain initiative would cost the provincial exchequer Rs35 crore with the Environment Protection Department set to play a key role in this regard.
What is artificial rain?
Artificial rain, also known as cloud seeding is what’s known as a weather modification technique. It artificially alters the weather by enhancing the ability of clouds to produce so-called “artificial rain” or snow, which can help meet the precipitation needs of a particular region.
For the first time in Pakistan, artificial rain was used last year in Lahore to control the pollution that was threatening the city.
Separately, public places including parks, zoos, playgrounds, joy/play lands, historical places, monuments, and museums, will remain closed in Lahore and other cities of Punjab for the next ten days.
The Government of Punjab Environmental Protection Agency issued a notification on Friday, stating that the order will come into effect on November 8 2024 (Friday) and remain in force until November 17, 2024 (Sunday).
