Delhi to witness first-ever artificial rain today? Latest update is...

Artificial Rain in Delhi: The Delhi government has postponed its first-ever cloud seeding experiment to late August due to ongoing monsoon activity, which experts say is not suitable for the trial. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa made the announcement on Tuesday, adding that new dates for the trial have been set between August 30 and September 10. The decision was made after consultations with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), IIT-Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. Experts advised that early July weather conditions would not provide the right kind of clouds for the project.

Cloud seeding is a method where aircraft release fine particles like sodium chloride into clouds to encourage rainfall. Delhi hopes this will bring artificial rain and help clean the air by washing away pollutants.

The government has set aside Rs 3.21 crore for the pilot project, which will involve five flight missions over areas in north Delhi, including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari, as well as nearby parts of Uttar Pradesh like Loni and Baghpat.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already approved the trial. Aircraft used in the trial will follow strict safety protocols. 

The missions will be carried out using a specially-equipped Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT), operated by a trained crew with prior experience in cloud seeding. The aircraft will fly below the cloud base and release particles to trigger rainfall.

This will be Delhi’s first attempt at using cloud seeding. The technique has been tried earlier in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, and in countries like China and the UAE, to fight drought or reduce pollution.