Delhi conducts cloud seeding after 53 years to combat rising pollution

New Delhi: As the Air Quality plunged to the very poor category, Delhi government carried out cloud-seeding trials on Tuesday to induce artificial rain and reduce pollution levels in the city. Interestingly, the method was conducted after 53 years in the national capital, reported PTI. However, the weather department reported no measurable rainfall within the capital.

The Delhi government, in partnership with IIT-Kanpur, conducted the trials across several areas, including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, and Badli. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said additional rounds are scheduled in the coming days.

According to a government report released later that evening, the trials contributed to a decrease in particulate matter concentrations at the test sites, despite suboptimal weather conditions. Two light precipitation events were recorded nearby—0.1 mm in Noida and 0.2 mm in Greater Noida around 4 p.m.

The report noted that PM2.5 levels dropped from 221, 230, and 229 to 207, 206, and 203 in Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh, and Burari respectively, following the first seeding. Similarly, PM10 levels fell from 207, 206, and 209 to 177, 163, and 177.

However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported low atmospheric moisture—only 10–15 per cent, well below the ideal level for cloud seeding.

Environmentalists dismissed the initiative as a short-term solution that may provide temporary relief without addressing the root causes of Delhi’s persistent air pollution.

The opposition AAP mocked the exercise as an attempt to “steal credit from Lord Indra,” while the BJP praised it as a proactive step to combat pollution.

Two trials, but no rain
The first flight concluded around 2 pm, followed by another from Meerut at 4 pm, lasting about an hour. Sirsa cited IIT-Kanpur’s assessment that rainfall could occur within 15 minutes to four hours after seeding, though limited humidity meant any precipitation would be light. IMD data later confirmed that no rain was recorded in Delhi by evening.

Sirsa detailed that a Cessna aircraft from Kanpur released eight fire flares, each weighing 2–2.5 kilograms, during a half-hour operation. Each flare burned for around two minutes.

The process involved dispersing silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds to trigger rainfall formation, with potential precipitation expected within 15 minutes to 24 hours, depending on conditions.

A second trial was conducted later in the day over outer Delhi, including Badli, using eight additional flares. Sirsa said nine to ten similar tests are planned in the coming days, targeting northern areas as per IMD’s wind direction forecasts.

He described the initiative as a “significant step” toward long-term pollution control, adding that successful trials could lead to a broader plan extending through February.

According to IIT-Kanpur sources, the operation covered an air corridor about 25 nautical miles long and four nautical miles wide, spanning from Khekra to north of Burari. The first flight deployed six flares at around 4,000 feet, while the second released eight flares between 5,000 and 6,000 feet.

After the second round, Sirsa posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the aircraft released cloud-seeding flares across various locations, and IIT-Kanpur expressed optimism about the results.

He added that, if successful, cloud seeding could become a regular pollution-control method under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s leadership.

This experiment forms part of Delhi’s broader winter air-quality management strategy. A preliminary test flight had been carried out over Burari the previous week but failed to produce rain due to insufficient atmospheric moisture—less than 20 per cent, compared to the 50 per cent typically needed.

Historically, Delhi’s first cloud-seeding attempt took place in 1957, followed by another in the early 1970s. In 1972, silver iodide was dispersed from ground-based generators to encourage raindrop formation, according to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

Environmental activist Vimlendu Jha criticised Tuesday’s operation as a “temporary, end-of-the-pipe solution,” arguing that it offers only short-lived relief while posing risks to soil and water due to chemical use. He urged the government to focus on directly addressing pollution sources and to consider regional coordination, since pollutants also drift in from neighbouring states.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) showed a slight improvement, registering 294 (“poor”) compared to 301 (“very poor”) the previous day.