Delhi halts second trial of cloud seeding as IIT-Kanpur flags low moisture content
PTC News Desk: The cloud seeding exercise scheduled for Wednesday to generate artificial rain across Delhi-NCR was cancelled after scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur determined that atmospheric moisture levels were too low for the operation to be effective.
The IIT Kanpur team said real-time weather data showed that clouds over the region did not contain sufficient moisture for successful cloud seeding. The procedure, which involves spraying silver iodide or sodium chloride into clouds to trigger rainfall, will be resumed once weather conditions become favourable.
On Tuesday, Delhi conducted its first cloud seeding trials in more than 50 years to combat rising pollution levels. The operation targeted areas including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, and Badli, using a Cessna aircraft equipped with chemical flares containing silver iodide and sodium chloride.
Although the India Meteorological Department (IMD) did not record rainfall in Delhi, light precipitation—measuring 0.1 mm in Noida and 0.2 mm in Greater Noida—was noted. According to the Delhi government, the trials contributed to a slight reduction in particulate matter concentrations in the test zones.
Before the seeding, PM2.5 levels in Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh, and Burari stood at 221, 230, and 229, respectively. After the operation, they dropped to 207, 206, and 203. Likewise, PM10 levels fell from around 207–209 to below 180 in those areas.
- PTC NEWS
