Delhi to receive Artificial Rain next week

“Good evening, I’m Jake Starling, and you're watching Khichdi News Network.

In a historic first, the skies over Delhi may soon bring rain—not from nature, but through science.

Yes, you heard that right. The national capital is set to experiment with artificial rain, via cloud seeding, in a bold attempt to combat its deadly air pollution. If weather permits, the operation will take place between July 4 and July 11.

The initiative, called ‘Technology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding for Pollution Mitigation’, is being led by the Delhi Environment Department, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called this a “historic step” toward solving urban pollution. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa added, “We want to give Delhiites clean air. This is our bold step towards meaningful change.”

But why now?

Delhi’s air quality plunges to hazardous levels, especially in winter. While cloud seeding has been long debated, this is the first time it’s being executed in Delhi.

Here’s how it works:

Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles like silver iodide and rock salt into moisture-filled clouds to induce rainfall. The plan involves at least five sorties using a modified Cessna aircraft, each flight lasting 90 minutes and covering up to 100 square kilometers. IIT Kanpur’s scientists will lead the execution, using custom-developed flares.

The India Meteorological Department in Pune is reviewing the technical details, and necessary approvals are being processed with the DGCA.

But politics hasn’t stayed out of the clouds.

AAP’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led Centre of delaying pollution solutions. In response, Minister Sirsa stated, “We signed the MoU first, made the payments, and got to work within four months.”

As Delhi awaits ideal cloud conditions, the city also waits for a potential breakthrough in pollution control. If successful, this could pave the way for similar efforts across India.

That’s all for now on this developing story. Stay tuned to Khichdi News Network. I’m Jake Starling—bringing clarity through the clouds.”