The Delhi government has recently conducted two cloud-seeding trials near the Indira Gandhi International Airport. These trials aim to determine if artificial rainfall can help mitigate the capital’s severe air pollution. The operations were carried out at an altitude of approximately 30,000 meters.
These recent attempts follow a previous project with IIT Kanpur last year, which cost over ₹1 crore but failed to produce rainfall. Government sources indicated that further trials may take place after the Diwali and Chhath festivals. An official announcement regarding these exercises is not expected before Diwali.
The 2025 trials with IIT Kanpur involved releasing chemical flares to encourage precipitation. However, a government report attributed the lack of rain partly to insufficient atmospheric moisture, estimated at 10-15%, which is not considered favorable for cloud seeding. Despite this, the government claimed a reduction in particulate matter levels in some areas, though the primary goal of inducing rain was not met.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that introduces substances like silver iodide and sodium chloride into clouds to encourage droplet or ice crystal formation. Its success is dependent on various atmospheric factors, and it cannot create clouds or moisture independently. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality has remained in the ‘very poor’ category for four consecutive days, with forecasts predicting a potential shift to the ‘severe’ zone.
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Source: livemint.com
