New Delhi: Cloud-seeding trials were conducted in parts of Delhi on Tuesday as part of the government’s plan to curb deteriorating air quality during the winter months. The first trial took place in the Burari and Karol Bagh areas.
According to officials, a plane took off from Kanpur and released chemicals into the clouds while conducting a trial run for artificial rainfall. The initiative aims to induce rain and help settle airborne pollutants choking the national capital and its adjoining NCR areas.
Experts said that during cloud seeding, silver iodide particles are released into the clouds, which can trigger precipitation within a short period.
Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared a video of the exercise, saying, “The trial lasted for half an hour. IIT-Kanpur had said that rain could fall within 15 minutes to four hours after the cloud-seeding trial.”
He added that a second trial would be conducted later in outer Delhi. “Nine to ten such trials are planned in the coming days, and if they succeed, the government will prepare a long-term plan,” the minister said.
