Delhi Government Plans Artificial Rain Around Diwali to Curb Rising Pollution

Delhi government has geared up to conduct artificial rain or cloud seeding in the national capital to induce artificial rain to keep a check on air pollution around Diwali in the coming two to three days, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on October 15.

This comes one day after the air quality index (AQI) surpassed 200, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management to implement restrictions under phase one of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-1).

According to HT, as a preparatory measure, four days of trial flights have been conducted over the target area in northwest Delhi, with the final go-ahead from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the project still pending.

Elaborating on the status of the project, Sirsa told HT that the aircraft is ready in Meerut. In addition, the pilots have familiarised themselves with the flight path. The Delhi government is currently waiting for IMD’s green signal and the right cloud conditions to initiate the project.

“If all goes well, the first trial could happen even on the day-after Diwali or the following day, if conditions are suitable,” he confirmed to HT.

What Is Cloud Seeding?

Cloud seeding is a process in which substances like silver iodide (Agl) are dispersed into clouds to enhance their ability to produce rain. The project is being executed in Delhi in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, which has modified a Cessna-206H aircraft for this purpose.

IIT Kanpur scientists told TOI that nimbostratus clouds, which form between 500 and 6,000 metres above the ground level and contain at least 50% moisture, are most suitable for seeding. The TOI report further revealed that government has planned five cloud-seeding trials, all in northwest Delhi to assess feasibility under varying moisture conditions.

Project Timeline and Approvals

On September 25, the Delhi government and IIT Kanpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  The day before, the project was approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which allowed for trials to take place at any time between October 1 and November 30.  The two pilots have more than ten years of experience as commercial pilots.

The Delhi cabinet had approved the ₹3.21 crore project on May 7. Initially planned for May-end and June, the trials were delayed due to the monsoon and rescheduled for August and September. However, continuous rain postponed the plan further. In September, Delhi Environment Minister had indicated possible trial dates between October 7 and 11 but unseasonal rain caused by a western disturbance further delayed the project.