Delhi's first artificial rain trial postponed due to weather conditions

New Delhi: Delhi's first artificial rain trial has been postponed, even as the aircraft fitted with cloud-seeding equipment for the experiment stands ready in Meerut, officials said on Monday.

The trial will be conducted as soon as weather conditions improve.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa along with officials of the environment department and a technical team from IIT Kanpur inspected the aircraft on Monday to ensure all systems required for the trial were in place, an official familiar with the matter told PTI.

Sirsa said the trial could be conducted "any day" once the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirms a clear-weather window. "As soon as we get the signal that there will be no rain, the trial will be carried out," he said.

The first cloud-seeding trial, earlier scheduled for this week, was postponed after the national capital received intermittent rainfall due to a western disturbance. Sirsa said the existing moisture and natural precipitation would have affected the outcome.

"We want to carry out the experiment under dry and stable weather conditions to obtain accurate results," he said. He added, "Although rain was forecast earlier, we want to ensure that the experiment is conducted in a scientifically sound manner."

"Our objective is to explore the feasibility of cloud-seeding as a tool to combat severe air pollution and improve the city’s air quality during the winter months," the minister said.

Delhi has been preparing for the artificial rain project in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to assess the potential of cloud-seeding in dispersing pollutants and reducing smog during the peak pollution period. Additionally, the government recently signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur for five such trials to be conducted in northwest Delhi.

The project, cleared by 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aims to examine whether cloud-seeding can help tackle pollution during the winter months. Funds have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its aircraft for the operation.

Earlier attempts to hold the trial had to be postponed due to active monsoon conditions, which made it difficult to distinguish between natural and induced rainfall. Officials said the final schedule will depend on the IMD providing a clear weather window.

At the end of September, Delhi's environment minister had said that the first cloud-seeding trial would be held in northwest Delhi between October 7 and 9. However, according to the IMD's weekly forecast, thunderstorms and rain were predicted between October 5 and 7.

The minister had also said earlier that further trials would depend on the outcome of the initial exercise, for which a two-month window, October and November, has been earmarked. The DGCA order specifies that the activity will be conducted without remuneration, under visual flight rules, and only after obtaining clearances from state and local authorities.

The operations are authorised from October 1 to November 30 and will be carried out under strict safety, security, and air traffic guidelines. The clearance, issued under Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, allows IIT Kanpur’s Department of Aerospace Engineering to carry out the activity using a Cessna 206-H aircraft.

The date for the cloud-seeding trials has already seen multiple postponements. At a press conference in July, Sirsa announced that the trial had been delayed due to the arrival of the monsoon. It was then deferred until the end of August, as rainy conditions were not suitable and could hinder the desired results. Initially scheduled between July 4 and 11, the trial was rescheduled.

Following consultations with meteorological experts and in light of current weather patterns, the project team later proposed a revised window from August 30 to September 10, when monsoon activity was expected to recede. This window was further extended to improve the chances of success.

The operation is being carried out by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, in coordination with experts from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT).

The operation will adhere strictly to all safety and environmental guidelines, Sirsa said earlier, adding that no photographers will be allowed during the process to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures.