IIT Kanpur puts on hold cloud seeding activity in Delhi for today

The cloud-seeding activity planned for today over Delhi has been put on hold due to insufficient moisture in the clouds. The process is highly dependent on the right atmospheric conditions. IIT Kanpur officials said on Wednesday that, while rainfall could not be triggered yesterday because moisture levels were around 15–20 pc, the trial provided valuable insights.

“Monitoring stations set up across Delhi captured real-time changes in particulate matter and moisture levels,” the official statement said. The data shows a measurable reduction of 6–10 percent in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, indicating that even under limited moisture conditions, cloud seeding can contribute to improved air quality.

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Officials said, “These observations strengthen IIT Kanpur’s planning for future operations and allow us to better identify conditions where this intervention can deliver maximum benefit. Such learnings form the foundation for more effective deployments ahead.”

Officials emphasized that IIT Kanpur remains committed to advancing this research with scientific discipline and a clear focus on improving environmental outcomes for the National Capital Region.

Yesterday, IIT Kanpur claimed to have successfully executed a cloud-seeding operation over Delhi, covering a corridor roughly 25 nautical miles in length and 4 nautical miles in width, with the longest distance between Khekra and just north of Burari.

The first round involved six flares released at an altitude of nearly 4,000 feet above ground level, with a burn duration of 18.5 minutes at around 12:20 pm. A second flight took off at 3:55 pm, deploying eight flares at a higher altitude of approximately 5,000–6,000 feet.