Delhi’s much-anticipated artificial rain experiment aimed at curbing hazardous air pollution has been officially postponed until the end of August, with weather conditions cited as the primary reason. Officials from the city’s environment department confirmed that persistent monsoon activity has rendered the current atmosphere unsuitable for cloud seeding operations.
Originally scheduled between July 4 and July 11, the pilot cloud seeding trial has now been rescheduled for the window between August 30 and September 10. The revised timeline was arrived at following detailed consultations with meteorological experts, who advised that the active monsoon phase would interfere with the effectiveness of artificial rainfall techniques. Officials stated that the ongoing natural rains carry excess atmospheric moisture and turbulence that make it technically unviable to seed clouds effectively. According to project engineers, injecting seeding agents during unstable monsoon activity could dilute the experiment’s scientific accuracy and risk inconclusive outcomes.
The cloud seeding trial is being spearheaded by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, with collaborative support from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This marks the national capital’s first official attempt to use artificial rain as a targeted intervention against poor air quality. The project, sanctioned by the Delhi Cabinet in May 2025, carries a budgetary allocation of ₹3.21 crore. The funds cover five sorties of cloud seeding using a specially equipped aircraft to test its viability as an emergency anti-pollution solution during periods of stagnant air.
A Cessna 206-H aircraft, bearing the registration VT-IIT, will be deployed for the operation. The aircraft is outfitted to disperse a precise mix of silver iodide, iodised salt, and rock salt into moisture-laden clouds, with the objective of triggering artificial rainfall in specific non-sensitive airspaces over northwest and outer Delhi. The plan is to operate within air zones that are free from sensitive defence or high-traffic aviation corridors. All aerial activity will be carried out under the close oversight of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with approvals already secured for aerial work. In addition, the project will adhere to safety and environmental protocols as mandated by central aviation and environmental authorities.
Real-time cloud mapping and weather data from the IMD will guide flight scheduling to optimise the chance of rain induction. Simultaneously, continuous air quality monitoring will be carried out to assess the trial’s impact on particulate matter levels, specifically PM2.5 and PM10—key indicators of harmful pollution. Project officials emphasised that this delay, while operationally inconvenient, is essential to maintain scientific rigour. Seeding during active monsoon could produce rainfall events unrelated to the artificial intervention, making it difficult to isolate and evaluate the success of the operation. The clarity of outcomes is critical if the pilot is to be considered for wider replication across other urban centres in the future.
This initiative positions Delhi as a frontrunner among Indian cities in exploring atmospheric engineering solutions to combat air pollution—a persistent public health crisis. As winters approach, pollution levels in the capital typically spike due to a combination of vehicular emissions, industrial discharge, biomass burning, and stagnant weather patterns. Authorities are looking for scalable and non-invasive emergency response mechanisms to supplement existing mitigation strategies such as road watering, vehicular restrictions, and industrial shutdowns. Experts from IIT Kanpur have long advocated for artificial rain as a supplementary response tool in extreme air pollution events, particularly in northern Indian cities with heavy aerosol loads. Previous cloud seeding experiments in other countries have shown that when conducted under suitable conditions, induced precipitation can temporarily lower air pollution by scrubbing out airborne particles.
However, cloud seeding is not without its critics. Environmental scientists warn that its success is contingent on several atmospheric variables, including cloud type, humidity levels, and vertical wind shear. They also caution against viewing it as a long-term substitute for deep structural reforms in energy, transport, and urban planning systems. Still, Delhi’s pilot is being closely watched by other metropolitan regions. If results indicate even modest short-term improvement in air quality, it could prompt larger trials in other severely polluted zones such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Patna, and even parts of Mumbai during non-monsoon periods.
The Delhi environment department has clarified that no media or photographers will be permitted during the seeding operations to ensure adherence to strict standard operating procedures and flight safety. The aim is to preserve the integrity of the trial, given the scientific and logistical complexity of coordinating aircraft operations, cloud monitoring, and real-time pollution tracking. While the delay pushes the experimental timeline closer to the end of the monsoon season, officials remain optimistic. The late August to early September window is considered meteorologically favourable as monsoon intensity typically begins to wane, creating stable cloud formations ideal for seeding.
The postponed operation reflects both the complexity and promise of technological interventions in environmental management. While artificial rain is no silver bullet for Delhi’s deep-rooted pollution crisis, it represents a willingness to invest in experimental, science-driven solutions as climate-related risks intensify. As cities across India face increasingly severe environmental challenges, the capital’s cautious but committed approach to cloud seeding may well lay the groundwork for a new chapter in urban air quality governance—one that blends conventional regulatory tools with frontier climate technologies.
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