Delhi govt signs MoU with IIT Kanpur for cloud seeding trial

On the occasion, minister Sirsa said the first trial is scheduled in northwest Delhi in a tentative window of October 7 and 9, depending on meteorological conditions

The Delhi government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur to hold the city’s first cloud seeding trial between October 1 and November 30.

The move followed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) formal clearance for the trial on Wednesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The move followed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) formal clearance for the trial on Wednesday.

The MoU, signed in the afternoon the presence of chief minister Rekha Gupta and environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa at the Delhi Secretariat, will see up to five trials being conducted at an estimated cost of ₹3.2 crore.

Calling the MoU a “historic” step, Gupta said the government was working on every possible front to cut down emissions. “This MoU paves the way for a two-month cloud seeding trial to be carried out on suitable days in October and November using aircraft. The findings will help us decide the way forward. The initiative will prove to be both historic and beneficial for Delhi.”

On the occasion, Sirsa said the first trial is scheduled in northwest Delhi in a tentative window of October 7 and 9, depending on meteorological conditions, with IIT Kanpur to operate a Cessna aircraft from the Hindon airbase. “We will first evaluate outcome of the initial attempt and then decide on subsequent ones,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CM earlier also inaugurated an automated multi-level puzzle parking facility at the Punjabi Bagh Cremation ground at 11am. Built by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the facility costs around ₹31 crores.

Officials said it is spread across 3,000 sqms and the fully automated facility can house 225 vehicles, with separate levels for sedans and SUVs.

Laying the foundation stone for a similar project at the nearby Bharat Darshan Park, Gupta said: “Parking has long been a major source of conflict and stress in Delhi. Citizens were forced to park their vehicles on roadsides, causing traffic disruptions and daily disputes. Automated parking facilities, thus, are the need of the hour,” she said, adding that such projects would “strengthen the city’s image as a modern and well-organised capital”.

To be built at a cost of ₹31.65 crore, the facility will accommodate 188 cars on 1,500 sqms.

Earlier in the day around 8am, the CMvolunteered at Chandni Chowk for the ongoing “Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath” cleanliness drive, sweeping the stretch between Digambar Jain Lal Mandir and Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib.

Later afternoon around 3pm, while presiding the first meetingof the newly formed Delhi Rural Development Board, the CM approved over 431 projects for village development worth over ₹1,000 crore.