The Delhi government plans to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of efforts to curb air pollution, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Thursday. The cloud-seeding experiment is expected to take place in outer Delhi, with final site selection to be completed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur.
“This is a war against pollution. We are exploring multiple measures, and artificial rain is one of them. Before implementing it on a large scale, we will conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak,” Sirsa said after a meeting at the Delhi secretariat.
Experts, however, have long stressed that artificial rain is neither a viable short-term nor long-term solution for pollution control.
“This is not a practical solution. Even if the government intends to use it as an emergency measure in winter, testing it in May will not provide meaningful data. Funds would be better spent addressing pollution at its source,” said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts.
To be sure, this is not the first time artificial rain has been proposed in Delhi. The previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government announced plans in the winter of 2023 but failed to proceed due to “unfavourable” meteorological conditions. A similar plan last winter did not move forward as the Centre reportedly withheld necessary approvals.
Cloud-seeding involves releasing silver iodide into the atmosphere to encourage ice crystal formation and enhance rainfall. While the technique has been used in other regions, its effectiveness in controlling pollution remains debated.
Sirsa said the government has sought expert evaluations on potential environmental and health impacts of cloud-seeding chemicals. “We have asked for detailed reports to assess whether these chemicals pose risks. This trial will help determine if artificial rain can be expanded as a broader solution,” he added.
In December 2023, Lahore in Pakistan conducted a cloud-seeding experiment that temporarily improved air quality, lowering the AQI from 300 (“poor”) to 189 (“moderate”). However, pollution levels rebounded within two days, raising questions about its long-term efficacy.
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