Cloud seeding exercise in Delhi postponed to August end

Addressing a press ocnference, the minister said the new dates for the project are set between August 30 and September 10

The Delhi government has postponed the first-ever cloud seeding project citing ongoing monsoon rains to late August, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa Said on Tuesday.

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain. (HT file photo)

Addressing a press ocnference, the minister said the new dates for the project are set between August 30 and September 10.

“Cloud seeding trials will be held when the monsoon season recedes. During this time, we will be able to collect accurate scientific data,” Sirsa said.

HT had reported on Saturday how the Delhi government had submitted a detailed India Meteorological Department (IMD) report to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking permission to carry out cloud seeding between July 4 and July 11, as conditions were not suitable before July 3. It had also shared a flight map plan with the DGCA, detailing the flight would pass over north Delhi and cover areas including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur and Burari.

Sirsa stated that the decision to defer the dates has been done after consultation with IMD, IIT-Kanpur, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune.

“The aforesaid time window was provided after obtaining inputs from IMD and experts. However, given the onset of monsoons already, conducting cloud seeding during this period (July 4-11) might not provide correct type of clouds that we are targeting to seed for pollution mitigation,” Sirsa said while reading a statement by Professor Deepu Philip from IIT- Kanpur

The minister added that ₹3.21 crore has been earmarked for 5 trials where DGCA approved aircrafts will fly over parts of north Delhi—including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur and Burari—as well as adjacent areas in Uttar Pradesh such as Loni and Baghpat, possibly triggering rainfall over these regions.

“Aircrafts will not fly over prohibited areas, they will not conduct any aerial photography,” minister said.

An aircraft prefixed with cloud seeding equipment will be used for the pilot project, he added.