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World Service,05 Nov 2025,26 mins

Cloud seeding to cut air pollution in Delhi

Health Check

Available for over a year

Last week attempts at cloud seeding to reduce pollution in Delhi failed to produce any rain. We catch up with reporter Chhavi Sachdev to find out more about official’s latest and controversial attempt at tacking hazardous levels of air pollution in the city. The Maldives have become the first country to ban smoking for younger generations with no one born on or after 1 January 2007 being able to buy tobacco products. Journalist Philippa Roxby comments on what this means for health. What do the public know about the cancer risks of alcohol? Dr Sanjay Shete, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains his research comparing the real risks to public awareness. A Finnish study has found that voting behaviours in elections are strongly linked to health, suggesting it may even be a stronger determinant than education. Plus, how walking over 5,000 steps a day may slow the cognitive decline in those with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett & Hannah Robins Image: A commuter walks near India Gate amid heavy smog pollution on October 29, 2025 in New Delhi, India. Delhi is once again blanketed by hazardous smog following the Diwali festival, as pollution levels spike to the "very poor" and "severe" categories, with air quality indexes far exceeding safe limits. The crisis, which is driven by firecracker use, emissions, and seasonal crop residue burning has prompted emergency measures like cloud seeding. Image Credit: Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

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