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Rajasthan Launches India’s First Drone-Based Cloud Seeding Trial at Ramgarh Dam

A 60-day AI-guided drone deployment will release seeding agents into moisture-laden clouds to test if targeted rainfall can help relieve the region’s drought.

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain. (HT file photo)
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An AI-generated image of a rainfall in an Indian village.
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Overview

  • Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena inaugurated the drone cloud-seeding pilot at Ramgarh Dam in Jaipur on August 12.
  • The joint Rajasthan Agriculture Department–GenX AI project will use around 60 drones steered by an AI platform reported as Hydro Trace to disperse seeding agents into targeted clouds.
  • The experiment secured clearances from the DGCA, India Meteorological Department and district authorities after scientists ran multiple drone test flights in Jaipur.
  • During the inaugural sortie, network and GPS disruptions from large crowds triggered an auto-landing, prompting plans for enhanced signal safeguards and crowd control.
  • Building on mixed outcomes from past state cloud seeding efforts, the 60-day trial will be monitored scientifically to determine its impact on drought relief and groundwater recharge.