IIT Kanpur plans fresh cloud-seeding trials in Delhi this summer to combat pollution

New Delhi: Delhi may witness another cloud-seeding trial this summer, according to an official familiar with the matter. Two rounds of cloud-seeding trials were conducted in the national capital late last October. The trials came following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Delhi Environment Department and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, signed on September 25, 2025. The experiment, however, failed to cause any rain in the city.

IIT Kanpur, in a statement, attributed the failure to low moisture levels in the clouds. The institute, however, said that the observations from the trials would strengthen planning for future operations and help them identify the ideal conditions. Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique designed to enhance a cloud's potential to produce rainfall.

It involves dispersing substances such as silver iodide and other compounds into clouds to trigger changes, promoting the formation of ice crystals or raindrops. As part of the trial last year, each time, eight chemical flares containing silver iodide and sodium chloride were released. In the wake of the experiment, the Delhi government released a report, claiming that the trials helped reduce particulate matter at targeted locations.

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Now, IIT Kanpur has approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a renewed permission for another trial. "IIT Kanpur is going through the findings and studies that they got from the last two trials, following which a further trial might be planned this summer, though the final time will be decided by IIT Kanpur. The final findings will be shared with the government at a later stage by the institution," the official said.

The Economic Survey of Delhi 2025-26, released on March 23, also mentioned that more cloud-seeding trials will be conducted in consultation with the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The trials have been envisioned as part of a short-term emergency measure for artificial rainfall generation to disperse and reduce ambient air pollution levels, the survey said.