Delhi CM Rekha Gupta says preparations complete for artificial rain through cloud seeding, successfully tested in Burari

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday that preparations for the artificial rain through cloud seeding have been completed today for the first time in the Burari area. The Delhi government’s cloud seeding project – a major undertaking by the BJP-led administration – has been delayed several times for various reasons. In a post on X, Gupta said the weather department has predicted the possibility of clouds on October 28, 29 and 30, and if conditions remain favourable, Delhi could experience its first artificial rainfall on October 29. “Preparations have been completed for the first time in Delhi to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding. of cloud presence on October 28, 29 and 30. If conditions remain favourable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29,” she said. This initiative is not only historic from a technical perspective but also aims to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi. The government’s goal is to clean the capital’s air and make the environment balanced through this innovation, she added. Cloud seeding in Delhi Last month, the Delhi government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for five cloud seeding trials, expected to be conducted in northwest Delhi, PTI reported. The project, approved by 23 departments, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aims to investigate whether artificial rain can be a viable solution to tackle pollution in winter. Funds have already been transferred to IIT Kanpur, which will deploy its own aircraft for the operation. The cloud seeding operations are authorized between October 1 and November 30 and will follow strict safety, security and air traffic control guidelines, it said. Permission was granted under Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, which allows IIT Kanpur’s Department of Aeronautical Engineering to carry out the activity using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT). The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) are part of the project. Delhi AQI Delhi’s air quality showed a slight improvement on Thursday but remained in the “very poor” category for the fourth consecutive day, aided by stronger surface winds that helped disperse pollution. The city’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 305 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 410 — the highest among all the monitoring stations. The 24-hour average AQI on Saturday was 268, continuing the worsening trend of readings of 254 and 245 over the two days preceding it. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) Ghaziabad, India October 21, 2025: A thick layer of smog shrouds the Indirapuram area of ​​Ghaziabad, part of the Delhi-NCR region, following the excessive bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night. The heavy pollution caused breathing problems for residents, in Ghaziabad, India, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. (Photo by Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times) Of the 38 monitoring stations across the city, 23 recorded “very poor” air quality, while 14 fell under the “poor” category, according to the CPCB created by the Sameer app. Delhi was the fifth most polluted city in the country on Thursday, with Bahadurgarh in Haryana taking the top spot with an AQI of 325. (This is breaking news) (More details to follow…)