The government plans further artificial rain experiments after the Diwali and Chhath festivals to address air pollution.
The Delhi government has carried out two rounds of cloud-seeding experiments near the Indira Gandhi International Airport over the last 15 days, according to government sources reported by Deccan Herald. These trials aim to test artificial rain as a method to manage increasing air pollution in the capital.
The recent operations were performed at an altitude of about 30,000 metres. This is notably higher than the 10,000-metre altitude used during the city's cloud-seeding attempts last year.
Additional trials are expected to take place following the Chhath and Diwali festivals. Sources noted that the government is not expected to provide an official confirmation or announcement regarding these plans until after Diwali.
The cloud-seeding project was initiated last year through a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Delhi Environment Department and IIT Kanpur on September 25, 2025, to use the technique as an emergency measure against winter pollution.
During the October trials last year, eight chemical flares containing sodium chloride and silver iodide were used in each round, though no rain fell. However, a government report claimed those experiments helped lower particulate matter levels in the targeted areas despite the lack of precipitation.
