Rajasthan will on Tuesday carry out India's first drone-based artificial rain experiment, replacing aeroplanes with unmanned aerial vehicles for cloud seeding.
The pilot project, aimed at inducing rainfall, will be inaugurated by state agriculture minister Kirodi Lal Meena at 2pm near Jaipur’s Ramgarh Dam.
How will it work?
Around 60 drones will take part in the initiative, a joint effort between the Rajasthan agriculture department and GenX AI, a technology firm with bases in the US and Bengaluru.
The drones will spray special chemicals into clouds to trigger the formation of water droplets, which could lead to rain. The launch event will also be open for residents to watch.
The experiment, originally scheduled for July 31, was deferred due to heavy rain alerts. Since then, scientists have conducted multiple trials in Jaipur to ensure readiness.
The project has secured approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the India Meteorological Department, district authorities, and the agriculture department.
Last month, while speaking to ANI, Meena said, “For the first time, artificial rain will be done via drone. For this, American scientists came here, and all the departments related to the environment discussed to decide this... The drones will take a very high altitude, and then this will be done via cloud seeding in Ramgarh Dam.”
What is cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding is essentially about giving clouds a gentle push to release rain or snow. According to Bloomberg, cloud seeding involves using chemicals, often particles of silver iodide, to trigger the formation of ice crystals or droplets from water that’s already present in a cloud but not being efficiently turned into rain.
{{/usCountry}}Cloud seeding is essentially about giving clouds a gentle push to release rain or snow. According to Bloomberg, cloud seeding involves using chemicals, often particles of silver iodide, to trigger the formation of ice crystals or droplets from water that’s already present in a cloud but not being efficiently turned into rain.
{{/usCountry}}Though the technique has been studied for decades, it remains difficult to predict the additional rainfall that cloud seeding operations can generate, with estimates ranging widely from 0% to 20%.
Does it really work?
The science is promising, but not magic. Studies suggest cloud seeding can increase rainfall or snowfall by 5–15% under the right conditions. For instance, a major project in Idaho, USA, proved that silver iodide could indeed make super-cooled clouds produce more snow. But it doesn’t work if there are no clouds to begin with.