Delhi’s Cloud Seeding Trial Fails to Bring Rain but Shows Minor Drop in Pollution

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Business

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Image Source: BBC

Authorities in New Delhi conducted a cloud seeding experiment on Tuesday in an effort to combat the city’s hazardous air pollution, but the attempt failed to produce rain. Experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Delhi government led the operation, marking the first such trial in more than five decades.

Cloud seeding involves dispersing fine particles such as silver iodide into clouds to encourage rainfall. The process depends heavily on the amount of moisture present in the atmosphere. Officials said the lack of sufficient moisture on Tuesday made the atte mpt “not completely successful.”

Despite the absence of rain, IIT Kanpur reported that there was a slight decrease in airborne particulate matter after the experiment, suggesting that even limited cloud seeding might have some short-term benefits for air quality. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained between 300 and 400 in recent weeks, almost 20 times higher than the level considered safe.

The experiment used a Cessna aircraft that released flares containing silver iodide and sodium chloride over several parts of the city. IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agarwal noted that while measurable improvements were observed, cloud seeding cannot serve as a permanent solution to Delhi’s persistent pollution crisis.

“The moisture content in the clouds was very low, so rainfall could not be triggered,” Agarwal said. “We will continue our efforts when conditions become more favorable.”

Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa confirmed that the process may be repeated in the coming weeks if humidity levels rise.

The last cloud seeding attempts in Delhi took place in 1957 and 1972 for drought management. This time, it was aimed specifically at reducing pollution. Scientists, however, remain skeptical about the method’s long-term effectiveness, citing high costs, limited success rates, and dependence on weather conditions.