The Delhi government has paused its second planned cloud seeding experiment scheduled for Wednesday, citing unsuitable atmospheric conditions. Officials confirmed that no trial would be conducted today as the moisture content in the air remains similar to Tuesday’s levels.
“The cloud-seeding activity planned for today has been put on hold due to insufficient moisture in the clouds. The process is highly dependent on favourable atmospheric conditions,” stated IIT-Kanpur, which is leading the project in collaboration with the Delhi government.
While Tuesday’s trial did not trigger rainfall due to low moisture levels of around 15–20%, the process still provided valuable scientific insights. According to IIT-Kanpur, real-time monitoring stations set up across the capital recorded notable changes in particulate matter and humidity levels. “The data showed a measurable 6–10% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, indicating that even under limited moisture conditions, cloud seeding can contribute to improved air quality,” the institute said.
“These observations will strengthen our approach for future operations and help us identify the atmospheric conditions under which cloud seeding can deliver maximum impact,” the statement added.
Environmental experts have criticised the cloud seeding initiative, calling it an expensive and temporary response to Delhi’s worsening air pollution crisis. Despite efforts to trigger artificial rain, scientists caution that the benefits are short-lived and do not address the root causes of pollution.
“This is a hugely expensive, temporary, and unsustainable measure,” said one expert. “Even if cloud seeding temporarily settles pollutants, air quality usually worsens again within a day or two. It does nothing to tackle core issues such as vehicular emissions, industrial discharge, and crop residue burning.”
Cost and Project Details
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between IIT-Kanpur and the Delhi Environment Department, the total project cost exceeds ₹3.2 crore for five trials — roughly ₹64 lakh per sortie.
So far, three trials have been conducted over north Delhi, but none have resulted in significant rainfall. Despite these efforts, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has continued to fluctuate between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories.
The First Trial: Procedure and Results
On Tuesday, a Cessna aircraft equipped with specialized flares took off from Kanpur to carry out Delhi’s first cloud seeding operation. The aircraft released eight fire flares containing seeding material over Burari, north Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar before landing at the Meerut airfield.
“The trial lasted for about half an hour,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a statement, adding that IIT-Kanpur scientists had predicted rainfall within 15 minutes to four hours after the seeding. However, officials later confirmed that no significant precipitation occurred in the targeted regions.
