Delhi To Now Get Artificial Rains In September With India's First DGCA-Approved Cloud Seeding Trials
'The approval marks the beginning of Delhi's first-ever airborne experiment to mitigate pollution through induced precipitation," the statement said.
Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that cloud seeding has been spoken about for years but never implemented.
'For ten years, it remained on paper. We took this up, coordinated with 13 departments, secured all approvals, including from DGCA, and now Delhi will finally witness cloud seeding between August 30 and September 10. This is a historic achievement," he said.
The Plan
As per the tentative flight plan prepared by the experts, cloud-seeding aircraft will fly over Kundli border zones, Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur, and some stretches along the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.
The sorties will focus on areas most likely to support low-altitude cloud formation and high pollution retention.
The cloud seeding method will involve dispersion of hygroscopic particles, like sodium chloride or other aerosols, from below the cloud layer, enhancing precipitation and improving pollutant washout in the lower atmosphere.
IIT Kanpur Leading
The operations will be led by the department of aerospace engineering, IIT Kanpur, using aircraft VT-IIT (Cessna 206-H), which has been fully equipped with cloud-seeding instrumentation.
The crew has prior experience in similar flight missions, and all mandatory DGCA conditions, including licenses and certifications, have been complied with.
For Smog-Free Winters
The cloud seeding trials are part of a larger, data-driven strategy, under the Environment Action Plan 2025, to combat Delhi's toxic air during the winter months.
'These trials, scheduled for late August and early September, are scientifically timed to gather data which will be vital to calibrating and scaling up efforts during the October–December period, when Delhi typically faces increased AQI levels," the minister explained.
Rescheduled Timeline
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
10 Online Courses Offered By IIT Madras For Class 10-12 Students
IIT Madras Online Courses: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will now offer a total of 10 online certificate courses to students of Classes 10, 11, and 12 across India. To enrol students in these courses, schools must collaborate with IIT Madras. Students will be given assignments to complete, along with an optional project to provide hands-on experience. Registration for the August 2025 batch is currently open, and the last date to apply is July 25. Interested schools can register through the official website: The courses will be for a duration of eight weeks. List of Courses Offered by IIT Madras: Introduction to Data Science and AI Introduction to Electronic Systems Introduction to Architecture and Design Fun with Math and Computing Math Unplugged: Games and Puzzles Introduction to Ecology Introduction to Engineering Biological Systems Introduction to Law The Fundamentals of Aerospace Humanities Unplugged IIT Madras Outreach Programme: Structure and Reach The outreach programme by IIT Madras is conducted in three sessions each year, scheduled for August, October, and January, enabling students to participate in up to three different courses annually. While schools can register at no cost, students will have to pay a fee to enrol in the certificate-based offerings. IITM School Connect: Building Partnerships and Participation Launched by the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE) at IIT Madras, the IITM School Connect initiative is a leading outreach programme aimed at engaging young learners. The programme has already collaborated with more than 2,300 schools and has seen participation from over 50,000 students.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
Delhi gets DGCA nod for first cloud seeding trials to tackle air pollution; ‘historic achievement', says Minister Manjinder Sirsa
Delhi has become the first state in India to receive final clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for conducting cloud seeding trials aimed at reducing pollution, according to officials in the Environment Department. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced the development on Tuesday, calling it a 'historic achievement' and a major step forward in Delhi's fight against air pollution. Cloud seeding has been spoken about for years but never implemented, Sirsa said. The method involves dispersing hygroscopic particles like sodium chloride below the cloud layer to encourage rainfall and help wash out pollutants from the atmosphere. The trials, originally planned for early July, will now be held between August 30 and September 10, over areas including Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur and the Kundli border. 'For ten years, it remained only on paper. We took it up, secured all approvals including from the DGCA, and now Delhi will finally witness cloud seeding,' he said. The aircraft to be used for the operation is a Cessna 206-H (VT-IIT), operated by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur. It is fully fitted with cloud seeding equipment and will be manned by a trained crew with prior experience in similar missions. Sirsa added that while the original window approved by the DGCA was July 4 to 11, experts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, advised postponing the exercise. The experts cited that weather conditions during that time were not ideal for cloud seeding. Based on their recommendation, IIT Kanpur and the Delhi government requested a revised schedule, now approved for the end of August to early September, the minister explained. The DGCA's permission comes with strict conditions. The flights must be conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), with full visibility of terrain at all times. Use of aerial photography or videography is banned during operations, and the aircraft must stay within approved airspace. Operators must also coordinate closely with Air Traffic Control, report any abnormal incidents, and ensure that all activities are properly documented. Sirsa said the effort is part of the larger Environment Action Plan 2025, which aims to prepare Delhi for the winter season when air quality typically worsens. 'These trials will give us critical data to fine-tune and scale up cloud seeding efforts later in the year. Our aim is to create a cleaner winter for Delhiites,' he said. He also pointed out that Delhi is the only city where both the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal had to intervene due to the poor air quality. 'That pressure was a result of inaction in the past. Today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Delhi, we're changing that. We're not waiting for court orders — we're taking action,' he said. Taking a jibe at previous governments, Sirsa said, 'They spent a decade writing letters. We secured approvals within four months after several rounds of meetings. The aircraft is ready, the equipment is in place, and the pilots are trained.' To help assess the success of the initiative and explore the possibility of wider implementation in the future, the data from the trials would be shared with central pollution control authorities, scientific agencies, and the courts, Sirsa said.
Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi defers cloud seeding project to late August due to ongoing monsoon
The Delhi government has deferred its first-ever cloud seeding project to late August, citing active monsoon conditions that are not conducive to the experiment, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday. Clouds over the Red Fort on Tuesday as the city recorded maximum and minimum at 35.1°C and 25.2°C, respectively. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) The minister confirmed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has granted approval for the trial. Besides, a budget of ₹ 3.21 crore has been allocated for the pilot project, the minister said. The trials, originally planned between July 4 and July 11, will now be conducted between August 30 and September 10, after inputs from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), IIT-Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, indicated that the early-July weather window was unlikely to yield optimal conditions for seeding. 'Cloud seeding trials will be conducted after the monsoon starts to recede. This revised window will allow us to target the right type of clouds and collect accurate scientific data,' Sirsa said at a press briefing, citing a statement from Professor Deepu Philip of IIT-Kanpur, which is leading the project. Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique in which aircraft disperse hygroscopic particles—such as sodium chloride or other aerosols—into clouds to stimulate precipitation. In Delhi's case, the project aims to use this technique to trigger artificial rain and help wash pollutants from the air. The minister said five sorties will fly over north Delhi and surrounding areas, including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari, as well as adjoining regions of Uttar Pradesh such as Loni and Baghpat. HT had reported on Saturday that the government had submitted a detailed report from the IMD to the DGCA, along with a flight path map. The proposed flight would pass over north Delhi, covering areas including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari. Adjacent regions in Uttar Pradesh, such as Loni and Baghpat, are also expected to benefit from any resultant rainfall. The government has allocated ₹ 3.21 crore for five cloud seeding trials. The operations will be conducted using aircraft cleared by DGCA, with strict adherence to safety norms. 'Aircraft will not fly over prohibited areas, and no aerial photography will be conducted during the mission,' Sirsa said. The trials will be led by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT-Kanpur, using aircraft number VT-IIT (Cessna 206-H), which has been fully fitted with cloud seeding instrumentation. The flight crew has prior experience in similar missions and holds all necessary licenses and certifications, the minister added. Explaining the operational process, Sirsa said the aircraft will fly below the cloud base, releasing hygroscopic particles to stimulate rain formation. 'This will aid precipitation and help with pollutant washout, which is a key objective of the project,' he said. This will be Delhi's first attempt at cloud seeding—a method previously used in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and even internationally in countries such as the UAE and China—to either combat drought or improve air quality.
