'Insufficient moisture': Delhi's cloud-seeding trial for Wednesday put on hold

A cloud-seeding trial scheduled for Wednesday in Delhi has been put on hold due to insufficient moisture in the clouds, the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) confirmed. The institute explained that cloud seeding, which aims to enhance precipitation, is highly dependent on specific atmospheric conditions.

On Tuesday, IIT-Kanpur collaborated with the Delhi government to conduct two cloud-seeding trials across parts of Delhi, including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, and Badli. However, despite the efforts, there was no precipitation in Delhi, and only minimal rainfall was recorded in Noida and Greater Noida. The statement from IIT-Kanpur noted that moisture levels in the clouds were too low, around 15 to 20 percent, to trigger rainfall effectively.

Although the conditions were not ideal for cloud seeding, the trial provided valuable data. "Monitoring stations set up across Delhi captured real-time changes in particulate matter and moisture levels. The data shows a measurable reduction of 6 to 10 percent in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, indicating that even under limited moisture conditions, cloud seeding can contribute to improved air quality," the statement read.

The results from the trials showed a reduction in particulate matter at locations where the seeding was conducted. "The PM2.5 was 221, 230 and 229 reported from Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh, and Burari respectively before cloud seeding, which reduced to 207, 206 and 203 respectively after the first seeding. Similarly, PM10 was 207, 206, and 209, which got reduced to 177, 163 and 177 at Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh, and Burari respectively," the official report noted.

IIT-Kanpur emphasised that these observations will help guide future cloud-seeding operations. The institute remains committed to advancing this research with a focus on improving environmental outcomes for the National Capital Region (NCR).