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The Delhi government is set to conduct its first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding in a bid to reduce air pollution.
Delhi will soon conduct a trial for artificial rain through cloud seeding. (PTI)
The Delhi government is set to conduct its first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding between July 4 and 11, in an effort to reduce air pollution, sources told CNN-News18.
IIT Kanpur is in charge of the technical operations for this project. The BJP-led Delhi government has secured permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and plans to induce rain when weather conditions are favourable.
This trial is estimated to cost approximately Rs 3.21 crore. Each trial will last 90 minutes and involve spraying a mixture of nanoparticles and salt from an aircraft. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had already conveyed its support for the project, confirming meteorological feasibility over the National Capital Region (NCR).
The project, titled ‘Technology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding as an Alternative for Delhi NCR Pollution Mitigation,’ will involve five aircraft sorties over low-security air zones in northwest and outer Delhi.
How Would This Work?
During these flights, a special mix will be released into the clouds using a dedicated flare system. This mix has been developed by IIT Kanpur and contains silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt. Together, these components help accelerate the formation of raindrops in moisture-laden clouds, enabling artificial rainfall.
IIT Kanpur has already conducted seven successful in-house cloud seeding experiments between April and July in drought-prone regions using the same aircraft and flare systems.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the flight plan for the seeding operation has been submitted by IIT Kanpur to IMD Pune for technical coordination. The conditions were not suitable for cloud seeding on July 3, but a flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11.
This initiative would mark a historic step in urban pollution control and is being carried out for the first time by Delhi’s Environment Department under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. “Our aim is to give Delhiites clean air. That’s why we’re taking this bold step of artificial rain,” Sirsa said.
Notably, Delhi has come under intense scrutiny for high pollution, particularly during winters. It is ranked as one of the most polluted cities in India.
(info by Priyanka Kandpal)
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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