NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted permission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to conduct cloud seeding operations over Delhi from October 1 to November 30 this year. The clearance allows the use of aircraft VT-IIT, a Cessna 206H, for the project.
Officials said the operations will be carried out under visual flight rules (VFR) with prior clearance from air traffic control and coordination with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Safety protocols require that pilots hold valid professional licences, current medical certification, and prior experience in similar operations.
Flights will avoid prohibited areas and aerial photography will not be permitted. In addition, foreign crew will not be involved. Environment minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said the aircraft would be kept on standby and trials would begin as soon as favourable weather and cloud conditions emerge. “As soon as weather and scientific parameters are favourable, we will conduct cloud seeding trials in Delhi—first time in India—to provide immediate relief from pollution,” he said.
The project is aimed at inducing artificial rain to help suppress air pollution during the capital’s most polluted months. The city’s air quality typically worsens in October and November due to a combination of crop stubble burning in neighbouring states, firecrackers during Diwali, and meteorological conditions that trap pollutants close to the ground.
IIT Kanpur had earlier secured approval for similar trials in July, but those were deferred after experts concluded that the conditions at the time would not yield meaningful results.
Officials said the current window has been chosen in anticipation of suitable cloud cover in the post-monsoon season. However, the trials will depend on real-time weather conditions and coordination among multiple agencies. If successful, this would mark the country’s first operational attempt at using artificial rain.