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Battered by severe air pollution following Diwali celebrations, Delhi may witness its first artificial rain over the next three days as a Cessna aircraft departed for a cloud seeding “mission” on Thursday. A day after Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said there were no suitable clouds for the much-awaited artificial rain experiment aimed at clearing the toxic smog around Delhi-NCR in the winter, it now looks like there is a window open for the trial after all. He said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had informed the government that there is no window expected until October 25. According to exclusive information available with News18, the Cessna aircraft has departed for the cloud seeding operations from Kanpur to Meerut. If the conditions develop in a suitable manner, artificial rain may be conducted anytime over the next three days. Officials said the operation is strictly confidential and details will be shared only after its completion. They said to induce artificial rain, the cloud seeding technique involves installing eight to 10 pockets beneath both wings of the Cessna. Chemicals stored in these pockets will be released from the cockpit and blasted beneath the clouds to trigger rainfall, they added. This pyrotechnic process will release flares that react with the clouds, inducing precipitation, officials said. The expected impact area of this cloud seeding operation is around 100 km, they said. On Wednesday (October 22), Sirsa said the trial will commence as soon as conditions are suitable. “The day we get suitable clouds, we will conduct the trial immediately, as all preparations – from permissions to flight arrangements – are already in place,” he told PTI. Last week, it was indicated that the trial could take place any day after Diwali. The Delhi government’s cloud seeding project – a major commitment by the BJP-led administration – has been postponed multiple times due to various reasons. Initially scheduled for July, it was delayed because of the monsoon, changing weather patterns, disturbances, and now, the lack of suitable cloud cover. WHAT IS THE CLOUD SEEDING PROJECT? Last month, the Delhi government signed a pact with IIT Kanpur for five cloud seeding trials, which are expected to be conducted in northwest Delhi. The project, approved by 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aims to explore whether artificial rain can be a viable solution to tackle pollution in winter. Funds have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its own aircraft for the operation. According to a DGCA order, the activity will be carried out under visual flight rules, without remuneration, and only after obtaining clearances from state and local authorities. The cloud seeding operations are authorised between October 1 and November 30 and will follow strict safety, security, and air traffic control guidelines, it said. Permission has been granted under Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, allowing IIT Kanpur’s department of aerospace engineering to conduct the activity using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT). The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the IMD are part of the project. (With agency inputs)
