NEW DELHI: In a renewed bid to combat air pollution, the Delhi government is preparing to conduct five cloud-seeding trials in the coming weeks. The trials, likely to begin by late May or June, will involve aircraft dispersing chemicals into rain-bearing clouds in an attempt to artificially induce rainfall, a method known as cloud-seeding.
Approved by the Delhi cabinet on May 7, the project comes with a budget of Rs 3.21 crore, including Rs 2.75 crore for the trials themselves, Rs 55 lakh per trial, and a one-time setup cost of Rs 66 lakh for logistics, equipment calibration, and preparatory work.
Each trial will be conducted on a separate day, depending on suitable weather conditions and cloud availability. Officials said that if favourable conditions persist, the five operations may be completed in quick succession within a week, or at intervals of a day or two.
An official from the environment department said the aircraft will operate for about one to one-and-a-half hours during each trial. While the precise locations have not been finalised, the operations will be carried out on the outskirts of Delhi, keeping safety and airspace constraints in mind. “Flights will not take place over Lutyens’ Delhi or near the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to safety and regulatory restrictions,” the official said.
He added that IIT Kanpur, the technical lead on the project, is assessing scientific and logistical factors to determine the most suitable locations for the seeding operations. Cloud-seeding involves dispersing substances such as silver iodide into clouds to encourage condensation, which can lead to rainfall if meteorological conditions are conducive.
While the technique has been used in various countries, its effectiveness remains a subject of ongoing scientific scrutiny. The Delhi government is currently in the process of securing no-objection certificates (NOCs) from 13 key agencies, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the Ministry of Defence.
“This is a scientific intervention aimed at improving air quality during critical pollution periods,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. “It complements our broader efforts, including round-the-clock air quality surveillance,” he added.