NEW DELHI: In a significant and historic stride to combat the capital’s escalating air pollution crisis, the Delhi government has initiated its first-ever cloud seeding trial to induce artificial rainfall. The aircraft, equipped for the crucial weather modification experiment, successfully took off from Kanpur on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and is heading towards the designated area in northwest Delhi near Burari.
The move comes as the capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to hover in the ‘very poor’ category, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an AQI of over 300 this morning. Areas like Siri Fort and Wazirpur have reported even higher, alarming readings.
Mission Underway, Contingent on Weather
Delhi’s Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, confirmed that the long-awaited trial is underway, emphasizing that the operation’s success hinges entirely on favourable weather conditions, particularly visibility in Kanpur and adequate moisture levels in Delhi’s clouds.
“The aircraft has taken off from Kanpur after visibility improved to the required 5,000 metres,” Minister Sirsa stated. “It will conduct the cloud seeding trial directly in the northwestern region near Burari. If the weather conditions, including moisture levels and cloud availability, are not favourable upon arrival, the flight will head directly to Meerut, where it will remain on standby until conditions become suitable.”
The trial, a collaborative effort between the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, is part of a broader, scientific strategy to mitigate the toxic air quality that plagues the city, especially during the post-Diwali smog season.
Preparations and Technical Details
The current operation follows a successful technical test run conducted last week in the Burari area. During that proving flight, flares containing a small amount of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds—the key ingredients for cloud seeding—were released. However, that test did not induce rain due to insufficient atmospheric moisture, which was below 20%, significantly lower than the necessary 50% for effective precipitation.
Cloud seeding is a weather-modification technique that involves dispersing these particles into moisture-laden clouds. These substances act as nuclei, encouraging the tiny water droplets in the clouds to aggregate, condense into larger droplets, and ultimately fall as rain, which helps wash away suspended particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10) from the atmosphere.
The Delhi government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for a total of five such trials, all slated for northwest Delhi. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had earlier expressed optimism, noting that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted suitable cloud formations between October 28 and 30, with a possibility of the first artificial rain falling on October 29.
This initiative has received permissions from over 10 central and state departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has authorised the operations between October 1 and November 30. This marks a new, science-backed approach by the administration to combat the perennial environmental challenge.