NEW DELHI: Delhi carried out its first cloud-seeding trial this week. The aircraft took off from Kanpur to release seeding agents such as silver iodide and sodium chloride over parts of the city in an attempt to induce artificial rain and reduce post-Diwali smog.
Officials said the flights targeted neighbourhoods including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Bhojpur, Mayur Vihar and Sadakpur.
Last week, a test flight was completed in Burari, but meteorological conditions, including low cloud moisture, meant the substance did not immediately produce measurable rainfall.
Authorities described the exercise as a trial and a “success” in operational terms, stressing that cloud seeding is conditional on the presence of adequate humidity and cloud cover (experts generally expect around 50% moisture for effective seeding, while conditions over Delhi were reported at 15–20%).
Delhi’s political leadership has framed the experiment as a proactive measure to tackle seasonal air pollution, with officials saying larger operations could be mounted when weather windows open.
Meteorologists and environmental observers caution that cloud seeding is weather-dependent and not a guaranteed fix for urban smog; its effectiveness varies with atmospheric dynamics and will require follow-up monitoring to assess any air-quality benefits.
Further sorties are expected if forecasts show improved moisture. Authorities also said rain could be possible later the same day if conditions change.
