Delhi’s cloud-seeding trial for artificial rain put on hold due to insufficient moisture: IIT-Kanpur

A cloud-seeding trial scheduled for Wednesday in Delhi has been put on hold due to insufficient moisture in the clouds, the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur said in a statement.

According to the statement, the process is highly dependent on the right atmospheric conditions.

The Delhi government conducted two cloud-seeding trials on Tuesday in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur but there was no precipitation in Delhi. Minimal rainfall was recorded in Noida and Greater Noida after the trials.

The trials were conducted in parts of Delhi, including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, and Badli.

In the statement, IIT-Kanpur noted that while rainfall could not be triggered on Tuesday as moisture levels were around 15 to 20 per cent, the trial delivered valuable insights.

“Monitoring stations set up across Delhi captured real-time changes in particulate matter and moisture levels. The data shows a measurable reduction of 6 to 10 per cent in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, indicating that even under limited moisture conditions, cloud seeding can contribute to improved air quality,” it said.

Asserting that the observations strengthen planning for future operations, the Institute said that such learnings form the foundation for more effective deployments ahead.

The cloud seeding trials conducted in Delhi on Tuesday helped in the reduction of particulate matter at locations where the exercise was carried out even as conditions were not ideal for it, an official report said.

“The PM2.5 was 221, 230 and 229 reported from Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh and Burari respectively before cloud seeding, which reduced to 207, 206 and 203 respectively after the first seeding. Similarly, PM10 was 207, 206 and 209, which got reduced to 177, 163 and 177 at Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh and Burari respectively,” said the report.

IIT-K said it remains committed to advancing this research with scientific discipline and a clear focus on improving environmental outcomes for the National Capital Region (NCR).

After conducting the trials on Tuesday, the Delhi government, later in the evening, in a report said that the cloud-seeding trials helped in reduction of particulate matter at locations where the exercise was carried out even as conditions were not ideal for it.