Delhi conducts two cloud-seeding trials in 15 days; more planned after Diwali, Chhath

The Delhi government has conducted two rounds of cloud-seeding trials near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the last 15 days as part of its efforts to explore artificial rain as a possible measure to tackle rising air pollution in the national capital, government sources said.

According to the sources, the trials were conducted at an altitude of approximately 30,000 metres, significantly higher than the altitude of around 10,000 metres at which cloud-seeding operations were carried out in Delhi last year.

More trials are likely to be conducted after Diwali and Chhath, the sources said, adding that the government is unlikely to make any official announcement or confirmation regarding the proposed operations until after Diwali.

Cloud seeding is a weather-modification technique aimed at enhancing a cloud’s ability to produce precipitation. It involves dispersing substances such as silver iodide and sodium chloride into suitable clouds to encourage the formation of raindrops or ice crystals.

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The Delhi government had first rolled out its cloud-seeding project last year in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur as an emergency measure to explore ways to combat pollution during peak winter episodes.

The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Delhi Environment Department and IIT Kanpur on September 25, 2025.

Two rounds of trials were conducted in October last year, with eight chemical flares containing silver iodide and sodium chloride released during each operation. However, the experiments did not result in rainfall.

The Delhi government subsequently released a report claiming that the trials had helped reduce particulate matter levels at the targeted locations despite the absence of rainfall.