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In a groundbreaking endeavor, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) has been spearheading efforts to create artificial rain through cloud seeding for the past five years. The innovative concept involves using chemicals to enhance the chances of rainfall, thereby aiding in the removal of pollutants and dust from the atmosphere.

Cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain, is a weather modification technique utilized to induce rains in water-deficient regions and disperse fog banks near certain airports. Scientists employ aircraft to inject substances like silver iodide, potassium iodide, dry ice, liquid propane, or salts into clouds to mimic ice nuclei, as clouds often lack naturally occurring ice nuclei.

The process of cloud seeding or artificial rain occurs when the injected particles make the clouds more proficient at generating ice crystals. These ice crystals then either fall as snowflakes or melt to produce raindrops, contingent upon the temperatures within and beneath the cloud. The efficacy of rain or snow production by a cloud hinges on a balance between the number of ice nuclei present inside it and the amount of water available to encapsulate those nuclei.

IIT Kanpur has successfully tested the artificial rain technology within a limited area on its campus, with further testing carried out by various scientific bodies in water-deprived regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The endeavor to harness cloud seeding as a means to generate artificial rain marks a significant step forward in combating water scarcity and environmental pollution in the country.