Delhi Artificial Rain: The capital may see another attempt at artificial rain this summer, with IIT Kanpur approaching the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for permission to conduct fresh cloud seeding trials between April and June 2026. The action comes amid a growing desire to use weather modification to alleviate the capital’s ongoing air pollution crisis, and it comes after two failed trials in October 2025 that resulted in no rainfall.
What Went Wrong With the October 2025 Cloud Seeding Trials?
Both trials conducted in Delhi last October failed to trigger any rain. IIT Kanpur attributed the failure directly to atmospheric conditions. “While rainfall could not be triggered yesterday because moisture levels were around 15 to 20 per cent, the trial delivered valuable insights,” the institute said in a statement after the experiments. Moisture levels in the target clouds were simply too low for the chemical agents to work. Each trial released eight chemical flares loaded with silver iodide, iodized salt, and rock salt into the clouds—a standard cloud seeding method designed to trigger the formation of ice crystals or raindrops. Despite the absence of rain, the Delhi government subsequently released a report claiming the trials helped reduce particulate matter at targeted locations after the experiments.
Delhi Artificial Rain: What Is IIT Kanpur Planning for Summer 2026?
IIT Kanpur is currently reviewing the data and observations gathered from the two October trials before finalizing plans for the next attempt. An official familiar with the matter told PTI, “IIT Kanpur is going through the findings and studies that they got from the last two trials, following which a further trial might be planned this summer, though the final time will be decided by IIT Kanpur. ” The institution has approached the DGCA for renewed flight permission to conduct the trials. If approved, the window for the experiments is expected to fall between April and June 2026—a period when moisture levels in clouds are typically higher than in October, which could give the technique a better chance of success. Final findings from the October trials will be shared with the Delhi government at a later stage.
Delhi Artificial Rain: What Is Cloud Seeding and How Does It Work?
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that artificially enhances a cloud’s potential to produce rainfall. It works by dispersing substances — most commonly silver iodide — into existing clouds. These particles act as nuclei around which water vapour condenses, promoting the formation of ice crystals or raindrops large enough to fall as precipitation. The technology does not create clouds from scratch. It works only when sufficient moisture already exists in the atmosphere—which is precisely why the October trials in Delhi failed. Summer conditions, when humidity and cloud moisture levels are higher, are considered more favourable for the technique to work effectively.
Delhi Artificial Rain: Is There Official Government Backing for These Trials?
Yes. The Economic Survey of Delhi 2025-26, released on March 23, explicitly mentioned that more cloud seeding trials would be conducted in consultation with the India Meteorological Department. The survey described the trials as a “short-term emergency measure for artificial rainfall generation to disperse and reduce ambient air pollution levels.” On September 25, 2025, IIT Kanpur and the Delhi Environment Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding that established the institutional framework for the experiments and formalized their relationship.
FAQs: Delhi’s Cloud Seeding Trials
Q: When will the cloud seeding trials happen?
A: If approved by DGCA, trials could take place between April and June 2026.
Q: Why did the October 2025 trials fail?
A: Moisture levels were only 15 to 20 percent, insufficient to trigger rainfall.
Q: What substances were released during the trials?
A: Silver iodide, iodized salt, and rock salt in chemical flares.
Q: Did the trials have any positive effect?
A: The Delhi government claimed they helped reduce particulate matter at targeted locations.
Q: What is cloud seeding?
A: A weather modification technique that disperses substances into clouds to promote rainfall.
Q: Who is conducting the trials?
A: IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the Delhi Environment Department.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
