Artificial rain trial may be delayed due to weather conditions: Officials

New Delhi: The Delhi government’s plan to conduct artificial rain trials in the city could be pushed back as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is yet to give a clear go-ahead, officials said.

With a western disturbance likely to bring rain later this week, officials said the experiment will only be held when dry weather is assured. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the trial can yield meaningful results only if carried out in clear weather conditions.

“We will wait until IMD gives us a green light and confirms there is no possibility of rain. Otherwise, there is

no point in conducting the trial,” he said.

The Delhi government recently signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur for five such trials, to be conducted in northwest Delhi. The project, cleared by 23 departments including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is aimed at exploring whether cloud seeding can help tackle pollution during peak winter months.

Funds have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its aircraft for the operation. Earlier attempts to hold the trial had to be postponed due to active monsoon conditions, which blurred the distinction between natural and induced rain.

Officials said the final schedule will depend on the IMD providing a clear weather window. At the end of September, Delhi’s environment minister said that the first cloud seeding trial would be held in northwest Delhi between October 7 and 9.

However, according to the IMD’s weekly forecast, thunderstorm and rain have been predicted between October 5 and 7. The minister had also said that further trials would depend on the outcome of the initial exercise, for which a two-month window — October and November — has been earmarked.