Delhi to witness its first-ever artificial rain in July to combat air pollution
New Delhi: In a landmark initiative aimed at tackling air pollution, Delhi is set to experience artificial rain for the first time. The cloud seeding operation is scheduled to take place between July 4 and 11, depending on favourable weather conditions, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Saturday.
The cloud seeding operation is being spearheaded by IIT Kanpur, which has submitted the flight plan to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Pune for technical coordination. According to Sirsa, weather conditions will not be suitable until July 3, but a flight window from July 4 to 11 has been proposed.
Additionally, a request has been sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to approve an alternate window, in case conditions remain unfavourable during the initial schedule.
A historic step in urban pollution control
“This marks a historic step in urban pollution control and is being carried out for the first time by the Environment Department under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta,” Sirsa said.
“Our goal is to give Delhiites clean air, which is the most basic right of every resident,” he emphasised. “That’s why we’re taking this bold step of artificial rain. We hope it brings about real, positive change.”
Project details: How cloud seeding will work
The project, titled ‘Technology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding as an Alternative for Delhi NCR Pollution Mitigation,’ will involve five aircraft sorties over designated low-security air zones in northwest and outer Delhi.
Each sortie will last approximately 90 minutes, covering nearly 100 square kilometres. The cloud seeding will be done using flare-based systems mounted on modified Cessna aircraft, dispersing a scientifically developed mixture into moisture-laden clouds.
The formulation, created by IIT Kanpur, includes silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt, all intended to accelerate the formation of rain droplets and trigger artificial rainfall.
