Cloud-seeding trials in Delhi may cost Rs 1.5 crore each, IIT Kanpur to handle operations: Official

New Delhi: The Delhi Environment Department is likely to table in the next cabinet meeting a proposal to conduct cloud-seeding trials with each test estimated to cost around Rs 1.5 crore, according to a senior official.

If the proposal is approved, the government is expected to transfer the funds directly to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, which will lead the initiative.

"The entire operation -- from planning to execution, including aircraft, chemicals and other logistical requirements -- will be handled by IIT Kanpur. The government will only provide funding for the trials," a senior official privy to the development told PTI.

Before tabling in the next cabinet meeting, the draft proposal will be sent to finance and legal departments, he said.

He said the department is planning to conduct the first trial during peak summer at the outskirts of the national capital. Each trial, which will involve artificial rain through cloud-seeding, is expected to cost Rs 1.5 crore. After the initial test run, scientific evaluations will be conducted.

The official said the decision to proceed with the experimental method comes after extensive studies and preparations undertaken by IIT Kanpur.

"They have already worked on the technical aspects. If the proposal gets cabinet nod, no-objection certificates (NOC) will be sought from the 13 departments whose permissions are required to conduct the trial," the official said.

A total of 13 NOCs will be required from key agencies such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation; Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Airports Authority of India.

Earlier, in an interview with PTI, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that the proposal is in its final stages and will be tabled at the upcoming cabinet meeting.

"Once approved, it will be shared with all relevant departments for no-objection certificates. We aim to conduct the first trial during peak summer on the outskirts of Delhi," Sirsa said.

He added that the government is actively ramping up its pollution control measures using advanced technologies such as digitisation, artificial intelligence-based monitoring, and 24x7 surveillance at pollution hotspots.

"If everything goes without hurdles, we will consider cloud-seeding as a contingency option during critical pollution periods," Sirsa said.

Air pollution in the national capital worsened during last winter and resulted in record air quality rankings, both in the country and globally.

Last year, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's Air Quality Index crossed the maximum limit and reached above 450, falling into the severe-plus category.