As the haze of early winter descends over Delhi, the capital finds itself deploying an unconventional weapon: artificial rain. The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, has begun cloudseeding trials — a weather modification experiment aimed at cleansing the air of toxic particulates and offering some relief to a city long battered by smog.
What’s going on and why
The trial period is set between October 1 and November 30, when the capital often faces its worst air quality levels. Permission has been granted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The government has signed a memorandum with IIT Kanpur to conduct up to five flights over north and northwest Delhi covering targeted zones, using a specially equipped aircraft to disperse cloud-seeding agents.
The basic idea: introduce substances like silver iodide particles, iodized salt, or rock salt into suitable clouds, encouraging them to coalesce and drop rain — thereby removing a portion of airborne particles (PM2.5/PM10) from the atmosphere.
The potential benefits
If successful, the pilot could deliver rainfall over Delhi’s smog-laden skyline and reduce pollutant concentrations, at least temporarily. With Delhi repeatedly ranking among the world’s most polluted cities, this trial represents a bold attempt to pair meteorology with pollution control.
For residents, even a moderate rainfall during peak smog season could mean clearer skies, improved visibility and some respiratory relief.
The practical limitations and skepticism
However, scientists and experts urge caution. Cloudseeding is highly dependent on specific weather conditions — adequate moisture, suitable cloud height and formation, wind patterns — which Delhi may not reliably have during peak smog season.
One expert warns: “It depends on ideal conditions — specific levels of humidity, precipitation and cloud properties.”
Plus, this method addresses the symptom (airborne particles) but not the root causes — cropburning in neighboring states, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and stagnant winter air masses.
What the trial will monitor
The pilot will be evaluated via realtime airquality data, particularly PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, collected via Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in the target zones.
Each cloudseeding sortie will cover roughly 100 square kilometres and last about 1.5 hours, with coordination between meteorologists, aviation regulators and environmental scientists.
Key takeaways
Delhi is deploying cloudseeding in a first-of-its-kind pilot to induce artificial rain for smog control.
The effectiveness will depend heavily on favorable weather conditions — success is not guaranteed.
Even if rain falls, the deeper pollution challenge remains — this is a tactical intervention, not a long-term fix.
Monitoring and transparency will be crucial — data from the trials will shape whether cloudseeding becomes part of Delhi’s seasonal air quality arsenal.
FAQ
Q1. What is cloudseeding, and how will it work in Delhi?
Cloudseeding involves dispersing substances like silver iodide into clouds to prompt rain. Delhi’s trial will use aircraft to seed clouds over specific police/municipal zones.
Q2. When will the artificial rain be tried?
Trials are scheduled between October 1 and November 30, once adequate cloud conditions exist. A likely rain event was forecast for October 2830.
Q3. Will this permanently fix Delhi’s pollution?
No — while rain can reduce airborne pollutants temporarily, major sources (traffic, crop residue burning, industrial emissions) require broader policy and enforcement.
Q4. Are there environmental or health risks associated with cloudseeding?
There is limited research into the long-term effects of seeding agents like silver iodide, and experts caution about unintended consequences.
Q5. How will we know if it works?
The trial and meteorological data will be assessed via air quality monitoring (PM2.5/PM10) before and after operations in target zones.