Delhi is set to launch its first cloud seeding trial in early September in a bid to induce artificial rain, a scientific experiment aimed at clearing the national capital’s toxic air.
The trials will be carried out in the first two weeks of September, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Friday.
The project, led by IIT-Kanpur, was earlier scheduled for early July but had to be postponed based on inputs from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), IIT-Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
The revised timeline aligns with the retreating monsoon, which typically brings more favourable cloud formations necessary for the experiment.
The Delhi government has sanctioned ₹3.21 crore for the pilot project, which is being implemented by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT-Kanpur.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted full operational clearance. The aircraft, a Cessna 206-H (VT-IIT), has been fitted with specialised cloud seeding instruments, and the flight crew has all necessary licenses and certifications.
The aircraft will conduct five sorties over north Delhi’s high-pollution zones, including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari, as well as adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh like Loni and Baghpat.
How cloud seeding will trigger rain in Delhi
{{/usCountry}}The aircraft will conduct five sorties over north Delhi’s high-pollution zones, including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari, as well as adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh like Loni and Baghpat.
How cloud seeding will trigger rain in Delhi
{{/usCountry}}During these flights, the plane will fly below the cloud base and release hygroscopic particles, such as sodium chloride and other aerosols, into the clouds to stimulate precipitation.
Sirsa said all precautions have been taken. “We have secured all necessary permissions, and the aircraft is fully ready. The instrumentation work has been completed by IIT-Kanpur, and we are fully prepared,” he said.
He also confirmed that the aircraft will steer clear of prohibited zones and that no aerial photography will be conducted, in line with DGCA guidelines.
Cloud seeding, a form of weather modification, involves artificially enhancing precipitation to trigger rain. In Delhi’s case, the goal is to wash airborne pollutants out of the atmosphere and improve air quality, particularly in the weeks following the monsoon, when pollution levels tend to spike.
“This is a scientific intervention to combat air pollution,” Sirsa said. “If successful, it will open a new avenue for Delhi to deal with hazardous air quality, especially during the post-monsoon period,” he added.
With PTI inputs