Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that the city has completed all preparations for the national capital’s first artificial rain, following a successful cloud seeding test conducted by experts in the Burari area as preparations for the ambitious pollution-control initiative have been completed.
“Preparations have been completed for the first time in Delhi to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding. Today, experts have successfully tested it in the Burari area. The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29, and 30. If conditions remain favourable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.
Calling it a “historic” initiative, Gupta added, “This initiative is not only historic from a technical perspective but is also set to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi. The government’s objective is to make the capital’s air clean and the environment balanced through this innovation. Best wishes to our cabinet colleague Manjinder Singh Sirsa and all officials involved in making this effort successful.”
Earlier, the Chief Minister had said that the Delhi government is “working proactively” on artificial rain to control pollution and that the plan will be implemented once the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirms favourable cloud and moisture conditions.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa thanked Gupta and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their support in ensuring timely approvals for the project.
"Today, a trial seeding flight was conducted from IIT Kanpur to the Delhi area via Meerut, Khekra, Burari, Sadakpur, Bhojpur, Aligarh, and back to IIT Kanpur. Cloud seeding flares were fired between Khekra and Burari and over the Badli area using pyro techniques," Sirsa said in a post on X. He added that the flight served as a proving mission to assess the cloud-seeding system's capabilities, aircraft endurance and coordination among all participating agencies.
Officials said to news agency PTI that during the trial in Burari, small amounts of silver iodide and sodium chloride, used to induce artificial rain, were released from an aircraft, but there was limited moisture in the air -- less than 20 per cent.
Cloud seeding typically requires a moisture level of around 50 per cent, which meant no rainfall occurred in the area. In its report on the test run, IIT-Kanpur said, "This flight served as a proving mission to assess the capabilities for cloud seeding, the readiness and endurance of the aircraft, the functionality of the seeding equipment and flares, and the coordination among all involved agencies." "There is no evidence of any precipitation, as the cloud cover was minimal and the moisture content was well below 15 per cent," the report added, noting that specially designed flares were used to release both silver iodide and sodium chloride.
The cloud-seeding project, jointly developed by IIT-Kanpur and the Delhi government, aims to explore artificial rainfall as a method to reduce particulate-pollution levels in the city during the post-Diwali smog season.
The project, approved by 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aims to explore whether artificial rain can be a viable solution to tackle rising pollution levels during the winter.
Cloud seeding trial delayed earlier due to lack of suitable clouds, says IMD
Despite recent preparations, the much-awaited artificial rain project had earlier faced delays due to lack of suitable clouds, according to the IMD.
Originally scheduled for July, the project involves an aircraft equipped with cloud-seeding technology, stationed in Meerut under the supervision of a team from IIT Kanpur.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told PTI that no suitable cloud formations have been available for the operation and that no window was expected until October 25.
“The day we get suitable clouds, we will conduct the trial immediately, as all preparations, from permissions to flight arrangements, are already in place,” Sirsa said.
Last week, officials had indicated that the trial could take place anytime after Diwali.
IIT Kanpur leads Delhi’s cloud seeding project to tackle pollution through artificial rain
The project, a key initiative of the BJP-led Delhi government, involves IIT Kanpur and several national agencies, aiming to tackle pollution through scientific innovation.
The Delhi government’s cloud seeding project — one of its flagship environmental initiatives — has been postponed several times due to changing weather conditions and the absence of suitable cloud cover.
Last month, the Delhi government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for five cloud seeding trials, expected to be conducted in northwest Delhi.
Approved by 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the project aims to assess whether artificial rain can serve as a viable method to reduce air pollution during the winter months.
Funds have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its own aircraft for the operations.
According to a DGCA order, the activity will be conducted under visual flight rules, only after obtaining clearances from the relevant state and local authorities. The cloud seeding operations are authorised between October 1 and November 30, following strict safety and air traffic control protocols.
Permission has been granted under Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, allowing IIT Kanpur’s Department of Aerospace Engineering to carry out the project using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, are also part of the project.
*With Agency Inputs
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