New Delhi: The Delhi government is preparing to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding this week as the city’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Diwali celebrations. The initiative, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s administration, is expected to begin once the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) grants final approval for suitable weather conditions, likely between October 24 and 26.
Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that all arrangements for the cloud-seeding operation were completed ahead of Diwali. “The entire setup is ready – from permissions to pilot training. The aircraft are fitted with cloud seeding equipment, and pilots have flown over the target areas to prepare. Now, we are just waiting for the IMD’s approval,” he said. Sirsa added that trained pilots have already conducted trial flights and that the operation aims to improve Delhi’s air quality by triggering rainfall to clean the atmosphere.
The long-delayed project was initially scheduled for July but postponed due to unsuitable weather conditions and monsoon disturbances. The government had promised to conduct the first trial before Diwali, but cloud cover and atmospheric instability forced a reschedule. Officials now expect more favourable conditions later this week for the operation to take effect.
Meanwhile, air quality across the national capital plummeted following Diwali festivities. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 359 at 11 am on Tuesday, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Out of 38 monitoring stations, 35 recorded ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality levels, reflecting widespread non-compliance with pollution norms. The 24-hour average AQI on Monday was 345.
Despite a Supreme Court order permitting only green crackers for two hours between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali, many residents violated the timeline, lighting fireworks late into the night. The Delhi government said that the artificial rain project is part of a larger long-term plan to reduce pollution and make the capital’s air safer for citizens.
Officials maintain that once cloud seeding begins, the rainfall will temporarily reduce particulate matter in the air, providing some relief from hazardous pollution levels that have returned year after year in the post-Diwali period.
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