The Punjab government has finalized a plan to induce artificial rain to tackle the growing issue of smog, as announced by Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb. The initiative comes under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and resources have been allocated accordingly. Each session of artificial rain, a process carried out with the help of the Meteorological Department, is expected to cost between 5 to 7 million rupees.

This method will follow international standards, and the government is encouraging public cooperation. The plan builds on a previous test conducted on December 16, 2023, under caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in which cloud seeding led to rain in 10% of Lahore. The experiment was carried out with assistance from the UAE and involved deploying 48 flares for the cloud-seeding operation.

The artificial rain project aims to mitigate the worsening smog situation in Punjab, particularly as the winter season approaches.