Delhi conducts two cloud seeding trials to tackle pollution, sees light rain and slight drop in PM levels

Delhi witnessed two consecutive cloud seeding trials on Tuesday in an ambitious bid to fight rising air pollution levels, marking another chapter in the city’s ongoing battle with toxic winter air.

- AIMAN FATIMA

Conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in collaboration with the Delhi government, the trials aimed to trigger artificial rainfall over selected areas, including Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur, Bhojpur, and nearby regions.

‘The sorties, each lasting about 90 minutes, were carried out using a Cessna aircraft fitted with silver iodide and salt-based chemical flares. These flares, weighing about half a kilogram each, were fired into the clouds for about two to two-and-a-half minutes per flare to encourage precipitation. According to the Delhi government, humidity levels during the trials hovered between 15 and 20 per cent, significantly lower than the ideal 50 per cent required for cloud seeding to be effective.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the trials were part of Delhis broader “science-first” approach to improving air quality. “Delhi has taken an unprecedented, science-first step by adopting cloud seeding as a tool to control air pollution," Sirsa said in a statement. "Our focus is to assess how much rainfall can be triggered under Delhi's real-life humidity conditions.