Delhi is poised to witness its first-ever artificial rainfall as the cloud seeding aircraft, deployed from Kanpur, successfully completed its operation this afternoon. The trial, aimed at triggering rain over the national capital to reduce severe air pollution levels, is expected to bring showers anytime before 7 PM.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that the cloud seeding operation is being done as an experimental initiative to mitigate the city’s worsening air quality.
Cloud seeding is a scientific technique that involves injecting specific particles—such as silver iodide or salt-based compounds—into moisture-laden clouds. These particles act as nuclei around which water droplets condense, forming larger droplets that can result in rainfall. The process is carried out using specially equipped aircraft to disperse the seeding materials at optimal altitudes.
The operation comes amid alarming pollution levels across the National Capital Region (NCR), where the Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ categories despite the enforcement of Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 1 PM on Tuesday, Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 304, falling under the ‘very poor’ category. Among key monitoring locations:
Anand Vihar: 311
RK Puram: 316
Siri Fort: 347
Bawana: 334
Burari Crossing: 319
Dwarka Sector 8: 311
Mundka: 318
Narela: 302
Punjabi Bagh: 313
All readings were classified as ‘very poor’, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta earlier described the trial as a “necessity” rather than an experiment, calling it a crucial step toward addressing the city’s chronic environmental crisis.
“Cloud seeding is a necessity for Delhi and is the first experiment of its kind. We want to try it to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem,” said CM Rekha Gupta while speaking to ANI.
She added, “The blessings of the people of Delhi are with the government, and we believe this will be a successful experiment. In the future, this may help us overcome these environmental challenges.”
Officials have said that results from today’s trial will determine whether larger-scale cloud seeding operations can be conducted across Delhi-NCR in the coming weeks, depending on weather conditions and moisture availability. (With ANI inputs)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
