Delhi Eyes Artificial Rain Again as IIT Kanpur Awaits Ideal Weather
Cloud seeding may resume after 4 PM if moisture improves; scientists call trials insightful but uncertain New Delhi, Oct 29: After Tuesday’s failed attempts to trigger artificial rainfall, the Delhi government is preparing for another round of cloud seeding later today — but success will depend entirely on the moisture levels in the atmosphere, officials said.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the operation could be retried after 4 PM, if the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirms a rise in humidity. “The aircraft is stationed in Meerut. The moment we receive information about sufficient moisture, the next trial will begin,” Sirsa said.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, which is leading the project, cautioned that the process is highly weather-dependent. In its statement, the institute noted that while Tuesday’s seeding didn’t produce rain, it provided “valuable data” for future experiments. “Moisture was around 15–20%, far below the ideal 50% required for rainfall,” IIT Kanpur said.
Despite the lack of rain, scientists recorded a 6–10% drop in PM2.5 and PM10 levels across several monitoring stations, suggesting that even partial cloud seeding may help reduce air pollutants.
On Wednesday afternoon, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘very poor’ category, touching 316 at Anand Vihar and 300 at ITO.
Each of the two trials on Tuesday cost around ₹1.28 crore, part of a ₹3.21 crore project approved by the BJP-led Delhi cabinet for five total seeding attempts.
While the government remains optimistic, experts remain divided. Atmospheric scientist Shahzad Gani of IIT Delhi termed cloud seeding an “ineffective and short-term” measure, arguing that it can only work when rain-bearing clouds already exist — a rarity during Delhi’s smog-heavy months.
For now, Delhi’s hopes for cleaner skies are resting not just on technology, but on the whim of the weather gods.
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