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New Delhi: When two Cessna planes from IIT-Kanpur took off over Delhi’s smog-laden skies on October 28, the city’s residents hoped for a shower of relief. The mission was ambitious — to seed the clouds with silver iodide, rock salt, and common salt, and trigger artificial rain to wash away the toxic haze. But despite the effort, the skies stayed dry. What followed was a mix of scientific reflection, political blame games, and an uncomfortable truth — Delhi’s winter atmosphere may simply not be built for such experiments. Here’s a look at seven key reasons why Delhi’s cloud seeding attempt turned out to be more miss than hit. 1. The Clouds Just Weren’t Ready According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the clouds over Delhi that day lacked sufficient moisture — less than 15%, to be exact. Cloud seeding only works when there’s already enough vapour in the air to form rain droplets. “There were no clouds,” a senior scientist from the Ministry of Earth Sciences admitted bluntly. Without the right clouds, the silver iodide flares fired into the atmosphere had nothing to work on. 2. It’s the Wrong Season for Cloud Seeding Experts from IIT-Delhi and IITM Pune agree that Delhi’s winter months are the worst time for such trials. The city’s dry, cold air between December and January has almost no atmospheric moisture — precisely when pollution is at its peak. A 10-year IIT-Delhi climatological study (2011–2021) found that during these months, “there is a fundamental lack of sufficient moisture and saturation,” making successful seeding practically impossible. 3. Nature Doesn’t Like to Be Rushed Cloud seeding can’t create clouds, it can only enhance rain from those that already exist. While IITM’s CAIPEX experiment in Maharashtra showed a 46% boost in rainfall from seeding during monsoon months, such warm, moisture-rich clouds simply don’t form over Delhi in winter. Without favourable natural conditions, technology alone can’t make the skies pour. 4. The Experiment Ignored Past Warnings Despite IMD and IITM advising against the timing, IIT-Kanpur went ahead — deliberately. “We wanted to test the efficacy of our proprietary solution,” said IIT-K Director Manindra Agrawal, adding that they were aware of the poor cloud conditions. The team’s aim was more about collecting data than guaranteeing rain — but to the public, expectations were set too high. 5. Limited Results, Even at a Cost The trial covered 300 square kilometres and cost around ₹60 lakh — modest by Delhi’s pollution control standards, but still a significant spend for a rainless outcome. IIT-Kanpur claimed a 6–10% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels, but experts cautioned that such short-term dips could have resulted from natural dispersion. Even if successful, induced rain would only clean the air for a few days before pollution levels bounced back. 6. High Aerosol Load Makes Seeding Harder Delhi’s air is already packed with aerosols and particulate matter, which interferes with the cloud formation process. IIT-Delhi’s report found that the thick aerosol layer sits below 2 km, while seedable clouds hover between 2–5 km — too far apart for seeding to work effectively. In simple terms, the pollutants block the very process meant to disperse them. 7. Politics Overshadowed Science The failed trials quickly turned into a political storm. Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa insisted the attempt was “successful,” while AAP leaders called it a “publicity stunt.” Arvind Kejriwal mocked the exercise on social media, saying, “All the engines of this government have failed.” Sirsa, in turn, accused AAP of jealousy, saying, “They failed to do it in 10 years.” In the noise, the scientific purpose of the trial was lost. A Costly Lesson in Sky ScienceCloud seeding isn’t a new concept — it’s been tried in drought-hit states and even succeeded under ideal conditions. But experts warn that Delhi’s dry, polluted winter is far from ideal. “Even when successful, the relief would last only one to three days,” the IIT-Delhi report said. More importantly, it adds, “Sustained emission reduction remains the only viable and durable solution.” (with inputs from PTI) Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Delhi and around the world.
