Delhi will launch a pilot cloud seeding operation in early September in a bid to induce artificial rainfall and combat persistent air pollution. Announced by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the project is being coordinated by IIT-Kanpur and marks a major scientific intervention in the capital’s ongoing battle against deteriorating air quality.
The initiative originally scheduled for early July, was delayed after detailed assessments by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), IIT-Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, found the weather conditions to be unsuitable. Experts concluded that effective cloud seeding would be more viable during the retreating monsoon, when cloud structures are typically more favourable for rain induction.
Now re-timed for September, the ₹3.21 crore project is being led by IIT-Kanpur’s Department of Aerospace Engineering. The effort has received a green signal from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), clearing the aircraft for operations. The aircraft, equipped with weather modification tools and advanced instrumentation, will conduct targeted flights over pollution-prone regions of north Delhi and neighbouring areas such as Loni and Baghpat.
Officials believe that artificial rainfall could provide temporary relief by settling particulate matter and other pollutants from the atmosphere, especially in areas that regularly report poor to severe Air Quality Index (AQI) readings. If successful, the pilot could pave the way for more structured weather-modification efforts to address Delhi’s chronic air pollution problem.
The upcoming trial is being closely watched by environmental scientists, policy-makers, and public health advocates, as Delhi continues to search for scalable and effective solutions to one of the world’s most stubborn urban pollution crises.