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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- 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.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Delhi Cloud Seeding Trials Green Lit: When, Where They Will Be Conducted
New Delhi: Delhi is set to witness its first-ever cloud seeding flights starting this August after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted final approval for airborne trials. The announcement was made by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who confirmed that the trials will now take place between August 30 and September 10, revised from the earlier July window, following expert recommendations by IMD and IITM Pune. Mr Sirsa said, "Cloud seeding has remained on paper for nearly a decade. We have changed that. Delhi is now the first state to get DGCA clearance for pollution mitigation-based cloud seeding. This is not just an experiment, it's a declaration that Delhi refuses to live with toxic air." "The August-September sorties are timed to gather data ahead of the winter smog season. If the results are promising, we will scale up cloud seeding operations during October to December, when AQI levels are at their worst," he added. Operation Details And Flight Plan The cloud seeding flights will be carried out using aircraft VT-IIT (Cessna 206-H), operated by a trained crew from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur. The sortie routes will cover pollution-vulnerable areas including Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur, Kundli border zones and segments along the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. According to the Mr Sirsa, these regions were selected based on atmospheric studies pointing to high particulate matter retention and favorable cloud formation during the late monsoon transition. The aircraft is fitted with cloud seeding instrumentation designed to disperse hygroscopic particles - such as sodium chloride - into the atmosphere to induce rainfall and aid pollutant washout from the lower atmosphere. DGCA Conditions And Safety Protocols The DGCA's conditional clearance comes with a detailed list of operational guidelines to ensure safety and regulatory compliance: All sorties must be conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with clear terrain visibility. Aerial photography or videography during flights is strictly prohibited. Aircraft must avoid restricted or notified airspaces unless additional permissions are obtained. Mandatory ATC clearances must be secured for all operations. A detailed record of every sortie must be maintained, and any incident or abnormality must be reported to the DGCA immediately. The operation will follow all directives under CAR Section 3, Series N, Part I and Air Transport Circular 1/2019. Sirsa Attacks Previous Government Taking a dig at the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, Mr Sirsa said, "They wrote letters for ten years. We conducted multi-agency meetings, navigated regulatory approvals, and got a DGCA nod within a record time. This is not just governance, it's governance with urgency."
News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
Delhi To Now Get Artificial Rains In September With India's First DGCA-Approved Cloud Seeding Trials
Calling it a 'historic step towards implementing science-based environmental solutions", the Delhi government on Tuesday announced that it has secured final Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clearance for conducting cloud seeding trials over Delhi. '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
Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Delhi: Artificial rain project postponed to August-end amid monsoon
With monsoon drenching the capital, Delhi's pilot cloud seeding project to curb air pollution has been deferred to the end of August, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday. The Minister announced the change in schedule during a press conference here, citing ongoing rains that may not provide ideal conditions and could fail to yield the desired results. Last week, he had revealed that the initial time window for cloud seeding was set between July 4 and July 11, as conditions were not suitable before July 3. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo However, following consultations with meteorological experts and in light of the current weather patterns, the project team proposed a revised window -- August 30 to September 10 -- when monsoon is expected to recede. Sirsa said this new period is likely to offer more suitable cloud formations for the seeding process. Live Events The operation was to be conducted by the Department of Aerospace Engineering, 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). "All permissions have already been taken, and necessary authorisations, including aerial work clearance from DGCA, have been secured. The operation will follow all safety and environmental guidelines," Sirsa said, adding that no photographers will be allowed during the process to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures.
