Delhi Delays Artificial Rain Project Due to Active Monsoon
Delhi’s first-ever artificial rain project—meant to improve air quality by inducing rain—has been postponed due to the ongoing monsoon, which experts say is not ideal for the cloud seeding experiment.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that the project will now take place between August 30 and September 10, instead of the originally planned dates of July 4 to 11.
☁️ What Is Cloud Seeding?
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that helps stimulate rainfall. It involves spraying hygroscopic particles (like sodium chloride or other aerosols) into the clouds using aircraft. These particles encourage water droplets to form and fall as rain.
The goal of Delhi’s project is to use this technique to wash out pollutants from the atmosphere and improve air quality.
🛩️ The Project Details
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already approved the flight trials.
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The Delhi government has allocated ₹3.21 crore for this pilot project.
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The operations will be conducted by the Aerospace Engineering Department at IIT-Kanpur, with support from the IMD (India Meteorological Department) and IITM, Pune.
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The aircraft being used is a Cessna 206-H (VT-IIT), fully equipped for cloud seeding and flown by an experienced crew.
📍 Areas Targeted
The cloud seeding sorties will cover:
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North Delhi regions: Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari
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Adjacent areas in Uttar Pradesh: Loni and Baghpat
Strict safety rules will be followed, with no aerial photography and no flying over restricted zones.
🗓️ Why the Delay?
According to expert input from IIT-Kanpur, IMD, and IITM Pune, the weather in early July is not favorable for effective cloud seeding. The active monsoon phase does not provide the right type of clouds needed to collect meaningful scientific data or to ensure successful rainfall.
Professor Deepu Philip of IIT-Kanpur mentioned that the revised timeframe will allow scientists to work with better-suited clouds once the monsoon starts receding, helping ensure better accuracy and scientific value.
🌧️ Why This Project Matters
This will be Delhi’s first attempt at using cloud seeding to reduce air pollution. Other cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, and countries like the UAE and China, have used similar techniques to deal with drought or air quality problems.
If successful, Delhi could use artificial rain in the future as a pollution control strategy, especially in the winter months when smog becomes severe.
🧪 What’s Next?
The team will now wait for favorable conditions toward the end of August. During the trials, five cloud seeding flights will be conducted, and scientists will carefully monitor rainfall and air quality levels before and after the missions.
The data collected will help the government decide whether cloud seeding can be used regularly to fight pollution in Delhi.
Reference from:- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-defers-cloud-seeding-project-to-late-august-due-to-ongoing-monsoon-101751395001392.html