What is cloud seeding that will help Delhi in fighting air pollution by creating artificial rain? On what dates will it rain?

New Delhi: To combat the rising pollution in Delhi, artificial rain will now be used. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted permission to the Delhi government for cloud seeding. Artificial rain will be produced in November and December. Significantly, these trials will be conducted under the supervision of IIT Kanpur. A Cessna aircraft will be used for cloud seeding. This aircraft will fly from Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad and spray chemicals over North Delhi.

What are the benefits of artificial rain?

The Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government is going to spend approximately 3.21 crore rupees on this project to create artificial rain in Delhi. It aims to improve the city’s air quality. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, during a trial in July, said that artificial rain would be most beneficial when Delhi’s pollution levels are high. He also stated that former Chief Minister Kejriwal never implemented artificial rain to reduce pollution in Delhi.

What did Rekha Gupta say?

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that experts conducted tests in the Burari area on Thursday, 23 October 2025, for inducing artificial rain around October 29. In the run-up to the city’s first-ever cloud seeding experiment to counter air pollution scientifically, CM Gupta said, “If conditions remain favourable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29.”

She posted on X: “Preparations have been completed for the first time in Delhi to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding. Today, experts have successfully tested it in the Burari area. The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29, and 30.”

दिल्ली में पहली बार क्लाउड सीडिंग के माध्यम से कृत्रिम वर्षा कराने की तैयारियां पूरी कर ली गई हैं। आज विशेषज्ञों द्वारा बुराड़ी क्षेत्र में इसका सफल परीक्षण किया गया है।

मौसम विभाग ने 28, 29 और 30 अक्टूबर को बादलों की उपस्थिति की संभावना जताई है। यदि परिस्थितियां अनुकूल रहीं, तो…

— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) October 23, 2025

How is artificial rain produced?

Artificial rain is produced using cloud seeding technology, where chemicals such as silver iodide, salt, or dry ice are sprayed into clouds from aircraft or drones. These particles attract moisture in the clouds and act as ice crystals, forming water droplets or ice particles. After the droplets become heavy, they fall to the ground as rain.

Where has artificial rain occurred before?

Delhi is not the first place where artificial rain is being produced. Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa explained that this technology is used in many countries around the world, including the United States, China, Japan, and the UAE, to combat drought and reduce pollution. In 2008, Beijing used artificial rain because it feared it might spoil the Olympics. Therefore, China had already created artificial rain using weather modification systems.