Second Cloud-Seeding Trial Successfully Conducted Over Delhi, Rain Likely After 5 PM

A cloud-seeding operation aimed at triggering artificial rainfall to curb Delhi’s severe air pollution was successfully conducted on Tuesday (28 October), with a Cessna aircraft flying over several parts of the capital before landing in Meerut.

“Today, the second trial of Cloud Seeding was conducted in Delhi. For this, a Cessna aircraft took off from Kanpur and landed at Meerut Airport after passing through Khekra, Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur, and Bhojpur. During this, 8 cloud seeding flares were released using pyro techniques,” said Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a video message.

The exercise, carried out jointly by the Delhi government and IIT Kanpur, marks the second trial under a broader plan to conduct multiple such operations over the next few days.

Sirsa added that the IIT Kanpur team believes rain could occur within the next few hours, depending on atmospheric conditions.

“This is a huge step taken by the government to mitigate pollution. If trials are successful, we will prepare a long-term plan,” he said, crediting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for enabling the effort.

As per a NDTV report, while the flight has returned to its base in Kanpur, rain is unlikely before 5 pm, as the moisture content in the clouds remains below 20 per cent, insufficient for immediate precipitation.

The Delhi government signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur on September 25 to conduct five trials at a total cost of Rs 3.21 crore.

Despite multiple postponements since May due to poor weather conditions, authorities remain hopeful that successful cloud seeding could become a viable tool in tackling Delhi’s recurring winter smog crisis.

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