New Delhi – As a choking haze blanketed the capital, blanketing landmarks like the Akshardham temple in east Delhi on October 29, the government’s ambitious cloud-seeding experiment hit a snag. Two planned trials set for Wednesday were abruptly called off due to inadequate moisture levels in the clouds, just a day after an initial pair of attempts yielded no precipitation.
The decision, announced by the Delhi administration, has ignited fresh tensions between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with both sides trading barbs over the viability of artificial rain as a weapon against the city’s notorious winter pollution.
The trials, a collaborative effort between the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, aimed to trigger rainfall using chemical agents dispersed from aircraft. While Tuesday’s operations did not produce any rain, Manindra Agrawal, director of IIT Kanpur, emphasized their value in gathering essential data. “Though the trials failed to induce rain, they were helpful in collecting data for the project,” he noted, underscoring the experimental nature of the initiative.
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Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa hailed the previous day’s efforts as “successful and historic,” framing them as a breakthrough in combating seasonal smog. “We have reached a stage where we could conduct a trial. We will learn what moisture content is needed to induce rain. It is still in trial mode,” Sirsa said. He added that once IIT Kanpur refines the required moisture thresholds, the technique could be deployed on demand. The minister pledged additional tests in the near future and contrasted the current administration’s progress with the prior AAP-led government’s inability to even launch trials, calling the achievement a “milestone.”
Yet, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj dismissed the optimism, accusing the government of disregarding evidence from the Union Environment Ministry. He pointed to a December 2024 Rajya Sabha response, where the ministry deemed cloud seeding “unfeasible” in Delhi’s winter. “When the BJP-led Central government itself said artificial rain isn’t feasible, who is the Delhi government trying to fool?” Bharadwaj questioned. He further warned of health risks, alleging that “the chemicals used in the trials can make Delhiites sick.”
The ministry’s statement had cited expert assessments highlighting the scarcity of suitable cloud formations during Delhi’s dry, cold months. It noted, “Effective cloud seeding requires specific cloud conditions, which are generally absent during Delhi’s cold and dry winter months… additionally, concerns about the uncertainties, efficacy, and potential adverse effects of cloud-seeding chemicals remain.”
Ironically, when AAP held power in Delhi, it too pursued clearances for similar trials, submitting repeated petitions to the Centre but ultimately falling short. As air quality indices hover in the “severe” category, the scrapped trials leave the city bracing for another grueling smog season, with political rhetoric unlikely to clear the air anytime soon.
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