In a bid to induce artificial rain and tackle the air pollution in Delhi, a cloud seeding trial was conducted in parts of the national capital on Tuesday, reported PTI.
The trial has been conducted in the Burari, north Karol Bagh and Mayur Vihar areas of the national capital as part of the Delhi government's broader strategy to mitigate deteriorating air quality during the winter months.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier given approval for IIT Kanpur to conduct the operations using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT).
According to the officials, the aircraft took off from Kanpur for Delhi, carrying special salt-based and silver iodide flares designed to trigger rain.
The operation lasted for half an hour and eight fire flares were released, said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
The minister said that, according to IIT Kanpur, artificial rain could begin within 15 minutes or may take up to four hours after the process.
The second trial will be conducted later in the day in outer Delhi, he said, adding that nine to ten trials are planned over the next few days.
"This is a huge step taken by the government to mitigate pollution. If trials are successful, we will prepare a long-term plan," Sirsa added.
The first trial came just a week after a test flight was conducted over Burari, when small quantities of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds were released from the aircraft. However, due to low atmospheric moisture of less than 20 per cent, as against the 50 per cent typically required for cloud seeding, rainfall could not be induced.
The Delhi government signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT Kanpur on September 25 to carry out five cloud seeding trials, all of which are planned in northwest Delhi.
Clearances have also been secured from more than 10 central and state departments, including the Union ministries of environment, defence and home, the Uttar Pradesh government, the Airports Authority of India, and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, among others.
The Delhi Cabinet on May 7 approved a proposal to conduct five cloud seeding trials at a total cost of Rs 3.21 crore.
However, the exercise faced multiple postponements due to unfavourable weather and monsoon conditions, including deadlines set for May-end, early June, August, September and, most recently, the second week of October.
(With inputs from PTI)
