Delhi government, IIT Kanpur sign agreement for pilot project on cloud seeding

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on launching a pilot project on cloud seeding trials in northwest Delhi as part of efforts to mitigate air pollution in the national capital. The agreement was signed at the Delhi Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

Gupta said her government was working on "every possible front" to tackle pollution, ranging from promoting electric transport to curbing smog emissions. "Today's MoU will pave the way for a two-month cloud seeding trial, which will be carried out on suitable days in October and November using aircraft. The findings will help us decide the way forward. This initiative will prove historical and beneficial for Delhi," she said.

Sirsa said that the pilot project will be a demonstration of alternative technology for combating air pollution in the capital. "The trials will take place in northwest Delhi, between 7 am and 9 am on identified days, and the results will determine the number of further operations," he said.