Delhi conducts successful trial for artificial rain; 1st cloud seeding likely on Oct 29
Public Lokpal
October 24, 2025
Delhi conducts successful trial for artificial rain; 1st cloud seeding likely on Oct 29
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said the city is set to witness its first-ever artificial rain through cloud seeding as preparations for the ambitious pollution-control initiative have been completed.
A successful trial of the project was conducted earlier in the day in the Burari area, Gupta said in a post on X.
"For the first time in Delhi, preparations have been completed to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding, marking a significant technological milestone in the capital's fight against air pollution. Experts on Thursday successfully conducted a trial test in the Burari area.
She added that cloudy conditions are forecast for October 28, 29, and 30, and if the weather remains favourable, Delhi could experience its first artificial rain on October 29.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa expressed gratitude to Gupta and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating timely approvals for the project. He described the day’s trial mission in detail, explaining that the seeding flight was conducted from IIT Kanpur to Delhi via Meerut, Khekra, Burari, Sadakpur, Bhojpur, Aligarh, and back to the institute. Pyro techniques were used to fire cloud-seeding flares between Khekra and Burari and over the Badli area.
The cloud-seeding project is a collaborative effort between the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. It aims to explore artificial rainfall as a method to reduce particulate pollution levels in the city during the post-Diwali smog season.
The experiment, originally scheduled for July 4, was postponed, with preparations now completed for a series of trials in northwest Delhi. Last month, the city government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur to conduct five cloud-seeding trials. The project has received approval from 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and is intended to examine whether artificial rain can provide a practical solution to Delhi’s recurring winter pollution.
Funds for the initiative have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its own aircraft for operations. The DGCA has authorised the activity under visual flight rules, requiring clearances from state and local authorities, and specified that the trials will be conducted without remuneration. The cloud-seeding operations are scheduled to take place between October 1 and November 30 under strict safety, security, and air traffic control guidelines.
Permission has been granted under rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, allowing IIT Kanpur’s Department of Aerospace Engineering to conduct flights using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT). The project also involves collaboration with experts from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), ensuring scientific rigour and coordinated monitoring throughout the trials.
PTI