JAIPUR: The ambitious AI-driven cloud seeding project at Ramgarh Dam has encountered yet another obstacle, this time from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The aviation regulator has withheld permission for drone operations at the required altitude of 10,000 feet, instead restricting flights to just 400 feet, a ceiling that experts argue renders the experiment practically unworkable.
Touted as India’s first AI-powered artificial rain initiative, the project is fast becoming a source of embarrassment for the Rajasthan government due to repeated setbacks and delays. The formal launch was initially scheduled for 31 July, with Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena set to inaugurate the operation. A series of demonstration sorties had been planned until 14 August, using a specially designed drone imported from Taiwan.
The drone, resembling a light aircraft, was intended to ascend to 4 km above ground level and disperse sodium chloride particles into moisture-laden clouds, triggering rainfall over the Ramgarh Dam and its 10-kilometre catchment area. However, the launch was postponed after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued alerts for heavy rainfall in the region.
When trials finally began, the project was quickly beset by technical and logistical issues. On 12 August, the first day of trials, a puja and havan were conducted at the dam site to invoke divine blessings. But the drone failed to take off. Officials blamed the failure on mobile network congestion caused by thousands of spectators, which allegedly interfered with the drone's GPS signal. Police were forced to disperse the crowd, but two additional attempts that day also failed.
One trial ended before take-off, while another barely lifted the drone to 400 feet, far below the necessary altitude, and without any rainfall. The setbacks continued. On Sunday, the drone crashed during an initial attempt. The following day, it crashed again, this time in Gopalgarh village, roughly 3 km from the dam.
With repeated crashes and unresolved altitude restrictions, serious doubts are now being raised about the project’s feasibility. However, Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena remains hopeful. “I will meet Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu on behalf of the company executing the project to request the necessary permissions. I’m told the drones must fly up to 10,000 feet, and we’re awaiting clearance from the DGCA,” he told reporters.
The pilot project is being implemented jointly by US- and Bengaluru-based firms, in collaboration with the Rajasthan government. Approximately 60 test flights are planned over the next two months. While the initial phase is being carried out free of cost, officials estimate the total project cost at around ₹2 crore. If successful, larger drones are expected to be introduced in later phases.
The urgency behind Ramgarh’s revival is linked to its historic and strategic importance. Built between 1897 and 1903 by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II, Ramgarh Dam was once Jaipur’s primary source of drinking water and was officially declared a reservoir in 1978. It even hosted a boating event during the 1982 Asian Games.
However, rampant encroachments and illegal construction in its catchment area have steadily choked natural inflows. The dam has remained completely dry since 2005, making artificial rain one of the last viable hopes for restoring its former glory.