Rs 1.9 Crore, 3 Cloud Seeding Trials, But Still No Rain in Delhi

New Delhi: Despite spending nearly Rs 1.9 crore and carrying out three rounds of cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain, Delhi’s skies remained stubbornly dry on Tuesday, offering little respite from toxic air.

The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, conducted two cloud seeding trials throughout the day on Tuesday, hoping to induce rainfall and curb the worsening pollution levels. However, officials later confirmed that no rainfall occurred due to insufficient cloud moisture.

IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal explained that the moisture content in the clouds was far below the required level for successful seeding. “We did not get a lot of cloud moisture. Given the low moisture content (around 15%) the possibility of rain was very low. So, we did not achieve success from that perspective,” Agrawal said.

While the absence of rain was disappointing, Agrawal noted that the experiment yielded valuable data for future operations.

“Data shows a reduction of 6-10% in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. This indicates that even with low moisture, seeding can still have some impact. It’s useful data for planning future trials,” he said.

The two more sorties which were scheduled for today have been cancelled, according to IIT Kanpur.

Meanwhile, experts have raised concerns about the temporary nature of such measures.

“If you are trying to do artificial rain, the rebound effect is going to be very quick. Global evidence suggests pollution can return within hours or a couple of days,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

She emphasised the need for long-term solutions.  “What we really require is massive energy transition, zero-emission vehicles, electrification of industrial processes, and access to clean energy across all sectors,” she said.

As per the MoU between the Delhi Environment Department and IIT Kanpur, the total budget for cloud seeding is ₹3.2 crore for five trials, with each trial costing around ₹64 lakh.

Despite these efforts, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category on Wednesday morning. 

City's Air Quality Remains "Very Poor"

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI stood at:

• RK Puram: 308
• Anand Vihar: 307
• Ashok Vihar: 302
• Bawana: 322
• Dwarka Sector 8: 298
• ITO: 306
• Nehru Nagar: 294
• Akshardham: 307
• Lodhi Road: 226

Authorities have already enforced GRAP-II norms, while the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has banned the entry of non-BS VI commercial vehicles registered outside the capital. Despite stringent measures and experimental solutions, Delhi continues to grapple with its persistent air pollution crisis.

ALSO READ: Delhi To Conduct Third Cloud Seeding Trial After IIT Kanpur's Second Test