Two trials of cloud seeding conducted by Delhi’s Rekha Gupta government to reduce pollution were not as successful as expected. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the main reason for this failure was the lack of moisture in the clouds.

During a special conversation with ABP News, Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the cost of cloud seeding once is around Rs 30 to 35 lakh. Whereas 9-10 operations cost around Rs 3 crore.

‘For this reason the trial was not successful’

He said that IIT Kanpur and Delhi government together tried cloud seeding twice, but due to lack of sufficient moisture, rain could not occur. Sirsa further said that during the trial on Tuesday, there was only 15 percent moisture in the atmosphere, whereas at least 50 percent moisture is required for artificial rainfall.

‘Will do trial again’

However, he also said that with the new chemical mixture prepared by the IIT Kanpur team, artificial rain can be produced in future even in spite of low humidity. The minister said that according to the India Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of humidity increasing by evening. Therefore, as soon as the weather becomes favourable, the next trial of cloud seeding will be conducted again. He said that our efforts will continue.

Answer given on AAP’s question

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has raised questions on this experiment. He says that this is a waste of public money. Responding to this, Sirsa said that when his government was in power, he kept talking about cloud seeding for ten years but did not even sign the MoU. We tried, did trials for the first time, what if we did not get results immediately – we will not give up.

Sirsa further said that Saurabh Bhardwaj’s criticism is just a joke because his government only talked, whereas the present government showed action.

Trial is being done with the help of scientists of IIT Kanpur

It is noteworthy that for the first time artificial rainfall has been tried in Delhi with the help of scientists from IIT Kanpur. Its objective is to reduce air pollution and improve the air quality of the capital. This technology has already been successful in countries like the US, China and the United Arab Emirates, where it has been adopted to tackle drought and pollution.

Even after the trial of cloud seeding conducted on Tuesday (28 October) in an effort to reduce pollution and provide artificial rain in Delhi, no effect was seen. The reason given in the report of IIT Kanpur is that due to lack of moisture, the impact of cloud seeding could not be achieved in Delhi-NCR.

The IIT Kanpur team said that two sorties were conducted today and a total of 14 flares were released into the clouds. However, due to the moisture in the clouds being very low, about 10 to 15 percent, it could not rain. According to the Meteorological Department, only 0.1 mm rain was recorded in Noida in NCR on Tuesday. Experts say that with such low humidity, it was almost impossible to get rain from cloud seeding.

Trial will take place tomorrow also

The team said that they are keeping an eye on all the weather conditions and two more attempts will be made on Wednesday (October 29). As of now, today’s experiment has shown ‘limited effect’. Overall, due to lack of moisture, efforts for artificial rain in Delhi-NCR could not be successful, but the IIT Kanpur team will continue the experiments in future also.

8 flares used

Let us tell you that 8 flares were used in cloud seeding. The weight of each flare was 2-2.5 kg. These flares released content into the clouds. There was 15-20 percent moisture in the clouds. The test, aimed at creating artificial rainfall to tackle air pollution in the national capital, is part of the Delhi government’s broader strategy to improve the deteriorating air quality during the winter months.

Now preparations for artificial rain from the sky have been completed in Delhi. To stop the increasing pollution in the capital, the Delhi government has finalized the plan of cloud seeding i.e. artificial rain. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the first trial will be conducted in North Delhi. For the last four days, pilots have been continuously practicing by bringing aircraft from Meerut and have flown to the height from where the raining process will be done.

Sirsa said that all necessary approvals for cloud seeding have been received from the Civil Aviation Department and other agencies. Now only permission from the Meteorological Department remains to be obtained. He said that as soon as approval is received from the Meteorological Department, the trial of artificial rain will be started within three hours. The special aircraft used for this process is currently parked in Meerut and is ready for flight.

There will be five trials in the capital

The Environment Minister said that a total of five trials will be conducted in Delhi. Earlier this trial was to be held in September, but it was postponed due to technical reasons. After this, a new date of trial was fixed between 5th to 7th October, but due to natural rains during that time, it had to be postponed again. Now the government is trying to conduct this trial successfully around or after Diwali.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that teams of 23 departments are involved in this entire process which are working in coordination. He said that this is a big experiment to reduce the increasing pollution in Delhi. If the trial is successful then it will be implemented on a large scale.

Artificial rain is a scientific technology

Cloud seeding i.e. artificial rain is a scientific technique in which special chemicals (such as silver iodide or sodium chloride) are released into the clouds from airplanes. These chemicals condense moisture in clouds, causing artificial rain. This technology has already been used in countries like China, America and Dubai.

The government hopes that the artificial rain will reduce the dust and pollution in Delhi’s air to a great extent and people will get some relief. This will be the first time in Delhi that the government will try to make it rain from the sky to deal with pollution.

What is cloud seeding: The area of ​​Delhi and its surroundings struggles with poisonous air every year in winter. Smog, dust and polluting particles dissolve in such a quantity in the air that it becomes difficult to breathe. Governments and scientists have been looking for such measures for a long time that this pollution can be reduced quickly and effectively. One of these measures is cloud seeding technology which helps to clean the air by making artificial rain.

What is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding is a scientific technique in which clouds are motivated to rain. Normally rain occurs only when the water vapor in the clouds gets enough cool and turns into water drops or ice crystals. But when this process is not done naturally in the atmosphere, then scientists interfere in it.

In cloud seeding, particles such as silver iodide, sodium chloride or dry ice are released into clouds through plane or rocket. These particles attract moisture and increase the chances of rain by adding drops to each other.

Why is this technology necessary in Delhi?

The pollution of Delhi reaches dangerous levels every year. The amount of micro particles like PM 2.5 and PM10 in the air increases so much that even masks are not fully capable of stopping them. In such a situation, if artificial rains are made, then this particles sit on the ground and the air becomes clean.

Not only this, due to rain, soil moisture increases and dust is reduced. At the same time, the layer of smog breaks and people get relief. This is the reason that Delhi government and scientific institutions are working seriously on cloud seeding.

Benefits of cloud seeding

• Artificial rain reduces the toxic particles spread in the air.
• Lack of water can be overcome by bringing rain in dried areas.
• Farmers can get relief if there is no rain on time.
• This technique can be helpful in controlling the weather.

What are the problems

Cloud seeding is not as easy as hearing. For this, it is important that there are already enough clouds in the sky. If there are no clouds, then this technique proves ineffective. Apart from this, debate is also going on about the impact on the environment and health of the chemicals used in it. Also, this technology is very expensive, so it is challenging to apply it on a large scale.

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The joint efforts of the central government, state government and scientists are now going to land on the ground to provide relief from suffocating pollution in the winter of Delhi. Dgca Done IIT Kanpur has been allowed cloud seeding in the capital from 1 October to 30 November 2025. This is the first time in the country when the path of artificial rainfall is opening.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told that, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Dgca Done IIT Kanpur has been allowed for cloud seeding in Delhi. Regarding this initiative, the Environment Minister said that this is a historic step in India’s fight against pollution.

‘Government priority to provide immediate relief to people’

Environment Minister Sirsa said that instructions have been given to keep the aircraft on standby. As soon as the weather and scientific conditions are favorable, there will be an attempt to start the initial trial between October 1 to 11. He says that it is the priority of the government to get relief from pollution as soon as possible.

IIT Kanpur aircraft will be the base of cloud seeding

Under permission IIT Kanpur team VT-IIT (Cessna 206h) Will use the aircraft. Dgca According to the guidelines of, only licensed and experienced pilots will fly. Flights under safety standards Vfr following the rules, ATC Will be done in collaboration with clearance and airport authority.

Dgca Has clarified that it will be mandatory to avoid restricted areas during flight. Any kind of air photography will not be allowed and foreign crews will not be involved. All procedures will take place keeping in mind the safety and privacy standards.

Part of Delhi’s clean air strategy

Sirsa said that attempts for cloud seeding of Delhi 24x7 Clean air strategy is part of. Its purpose is to save people from increasing pollution, especially in winter and protect their health.

Point to be noted is that, IIT Kanpur was earlier allowed for cloud seeding, but due to lack of favorable weather in July, trials could not be done. Now trials will be completed if the weather conditions improve in the new time limit.

The Delhi government is preparing to trial artificial rain by 15 October. The government’s environment department is constantly monitoring atmospheric conditions and has sought update information from the Meteorological Department about the status of monsoon and withdrawal date, so that the civil aviation can be applied for a new time-limit acceptance for cloud-seeding (DGCA).

Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told the media, “The department will test after the return of the monsoon so that it can get the best results. As soon as clear information is received from the Meteorological Department, the DGCA will again write a letter and seek necessary permission to conduct these artificial rain campaigns safely.

Artificial rain will be initiated under strict supervision- Sirsa

Minister Sirsa said that the last deadline will be decided on the basis of the trends of atmospheric data and scientific assessment of the situation of clouds. This active step of the government has been taken towards removing the concerns of falling ground water level and rising air pollution after the monsoon in the national capital. This initiative of artificial rainfall will be done under strict supervision and a detailed report of the Meteorological Department will be helpful in its implementation.

What was the minister Sirsa announced in July?

Earlier, in a press conference held in July, Sirsa announced that the test was postponed due to the arrival of monsoon. The test was postponed by the end of August as the expected results could be affected due to rain. The test to be held between July 4 and July 11 has been re -determined. In view of consultation with meteorological experts and the current weather, the project team proposed the revised period from 30 August to 10 September.

Sirsa further said, “The new period is likely to provide more suitable cloud structures for the cloud-seeding process.” This campaign will be done by the Aerospace Engineering Department of IIT Kanpur, with the experts of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorological Institute (IITM), Pune and India Meteorological Department (IMD), 206-A aircraft (VT-IIT).

The test of artificial rain at a limited place through drones in the country, ie artificial rain, failed today. The country’s first test was to be held today in the desert land, Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Amidst all the propaganda, the test program proved to be a completely flop show.

The Agriculture Department of the Rajasthan government was conducting this test. Despite a hard struggle of about three hours, the drone could not fly. After 3 hours, the drone flew, so it could go to a height of only 10 feet, fifty meters ahead. After this, the drone fell uncontrollable and fell into the dry rhythm.

50 thousand people were present

However, 50 thousand people of Ramgarh Tal were present in Jaipur to see the artificial rain with the technique of artificial intelligence through drones. Near Ramgarh Tal, 25 to 30 thousand people were present in the place where artificial rain was to be done by drone.

The crowd had become so much that there was no place to keep mole anywhere. All the police and administration arrangements proved insufficient. When the crowd waiting for artificial rain started getting uncontrollable, the police had to run sticks. The police used sticks and used light force several times. Angry people tore the posters installed there.

People wanted to take parts with them

People also hooted fiercely when the test was delayed and later the drone shutdown. Due to the huge crowd, there was a lot of chaos at the test site. A large number of people reached the place where the drone fell and fell. People wanted to take away its parts with them.

However, the police and representatives of the testing company immediately reached there and took the drone in their possession. Bangalore -based company Genex was preparing to provide artificial rain here with the help of America. A plan was prepared to fill the Ramgarh Tal by raining through drones for 60 consecutive days.

First testing in the country with drone and AI technology

Earlier in the country, wherever artificial rain was done, it was done by spraying chemical on clouds from all plane. Artificial rain was also done in some places through drones, but it used to be in large areas.

Drone and AI technology in limited terrain was to test the artificial rain for the first time in the country, but the test was a defect and dislocations. The people of the company claim that the test could not succeed due to the chaos and problems in the signal caused by the huge crowd.

MLA and VIP come to see this test with their family

Due to the test flops and tanti-busses, the people present there returned disappointed. The temperature in Jaipur was very high and was tremendous humidity. People got upset in the humid summer.

The Agriculture Department of the Rajasthan government was conducting artificial rain testing. State Agriculture Minister Dr. Kirori Lal Meena himself was present at the test site. Many MLAs and other VIPs came to see this test with their families.

Government will prepare a fresh testing plan

The Agriculture Minister had made a statement on the occasion that if the use of Ramgarh Tal being filled through artificial rain is successful, artificial rain will be done at all other places in the state. Prior to the test, worship was also done with Vedic Brahmins. The government will soon prepare a fresh testing plan.

All the public representatives including the Ministry of Agriculture and the local MLA had also issued an appeal to the people to see it by coming to the test site. Despite having a thin mountain route, there was neither any arrangement to park vehicles nor control the crowd.