Delhi seeds the clouds, but forecast still doubtful

The Delhi government on Tuesday carried out another cloud-seeding attempt to induce artificial rain, using an aircraft from Kanpur that dispersed eight fire flares over Burari, Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar during a half-hour operation before landing at Meerut airfield.

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), which is overseeing the exercise, said rainfall could occur within 15 minutes to four hours.

However, at the time of going to press, there was no official confirmation that the cloud-seeding attempt had led to rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department had predicted light rain for Tuesday morning and later in the week, weather conditions favourable for the formation of clouds suitable for seeding.

Tuesday’s operation was the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party government's second attempt. The first, conducted last week over Burari using small quantities of silver iodide and sodium chloride, failed to produce rain because of low atmospheric moisture - less than 20 per cent against the 50 per cent typically required.

"A Cessna aircraft took off from Kanpur and released eight fire flares, each weighing 2 to 2.5 kilograms. The trial lasted for half an hour; each flare burnt for two to two and a half minutes. The clouds had a humidity of 15 to 20 per cent. The flares were released for about 17 to 18 minutes," Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a video statement.

The Delhi government claimed the artificial rain would help wash away the after-Diwali smog, which thickened after residents ignored in defiance the Supreme Court’s firecracker restrictions on both type and timing.

The Delhi government signed a memorandum of understanding with IITK on September 25 to conduct five cloud-seeding trials, all planned in northwest Delhi.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation earlier granted permission to IITK to conduct the trials anytime between October 1 and November 30.