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4w ago

Delhi Launches First Cloud Seeding Trials to Test Artificial Rain for Pollution Relief

Five monsoon-season flights will disperse silver iodide and salts into clouds to gauge whether artificial rain can wash out Delhi’s smog

Delhi Artificial Rain Trial Postponed, To Be Conducted Near City Borders Post-Monsoon
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Overview

  • Delhi government has allocated ₹3.21 crore and obtained regulatory approvals to run the trials in partnership with IIT Kanpur and the India Meteorological Department.
  • Five flights from July 4 to 11 will seed moisture-laden clouds over Delhi’s outskirts using aircraft sorties.
  • The operations will release silver iodide, iodised salt and rock salt to encourage raindrop formation and wash pollutants from the air.
  • A late-2024 proposal stalled over bureaucratic hurdles and central approvals, making this the first fully authorized cloud seeding effort.
  • Scientists caution that cloud seeding’s impact is unproven and any artificial rain may yield only temporary relief without cutting underlying emissions.