Delhi's First Cloud Seeding Trial Today: When And How It Will Be Done

The Delhi government may conduct its first cloud seeding today if weather conditions are favourable, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has said.

The operation depends upon weather conditions in Kanpur as the aircraft designated for it is currently stationed there, the minister added.

"Regarding cloud seeding, as soon as the weather clears up in Kanpur, our aircraft will take off from there today. If it succeeds in taking off from there, cloud seeding will be done in Delhi today. Through that cloud seeding, there will be rainfall in Delhi. Right now, the visibility in Kanpur is 2000 metres. Visibility of 5000 metres is being awaited there. Visibility is low in Delhi too. We hope that this will be possible by 12.30-1 pm. Then it will take off from there, do cloud seeding here and return", Mr Sirsa said.

What Is Cloud Seeding

Cloud seeding is the process of adding special substances like silver iodide and dry ice to clouds to make it rain or snow in areas experiencing water scarcity, less snowfall, or to reduce hail and clear fog. It can be done using airplanes, rockets, or machines on the ground.

The formulation, developed by IIT Kanpur, includes silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt.

Why Delhi Is Pushing For Artificial Rain

The national capital is infamous for its air pollution problem. The city mostly experiences high levels of pollution throughout the year. In a bid to provide 'clean air' to its citizens, the Delhi government has been considering cloud seeding or artificial rain for months.

Delhi remained India's most polluted megacity by a wide margin during the 2024-25 winter, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 175 micrograms per cubic metre, according to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment.

The air pollution in the city is reducing citizens' life expectancy by an average of 11.9 years compared to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines, according to a report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Delhi stood at 306 as of 8 am on today, classified as the 'very poor' category.

As of 8 am, the AQI in Anand Vihar was 321, RK Puram was 320, Siri Fort was 350, Bawana was 336, Burari Crossing was 326, Dwarka Sector 8 was 316, Mundka was 324, Narela was 303 and Punjabi Bagh was 323.

The Delhi government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur on September 25 to carry out five cloud seeding trials, all of which are planned in northwest Delhi.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier granted permission to IIT Kanpur to conduct the trials any time between October 1 and November 30.

The Delhi Cabinet on May 7 had approved a proposal to conduct five cloud seeding trials at a total cost of Rs 3.21 crore.

However, the exercise has faced multiple postponements due to unfavourable weather and monsoon conditions, including deadlines set for May-end, early June, August, September and, most recently, the second week of October.