In an ambitious move, the Delhi government, in partnership with the IIT Kanpur team, has initiated a cloud-seeding operation aimed at bringing artificial rain to wash away the city’s choking smog after Diwali. Aircraft laden with silver iodide and salt-based flares flew over moisture-laden clouds on the outskirts of Delhi-NCR (including areas such as Burari, Mayur Vihar and Khekra) in hopes of inducing rainfall within 15 minutes to 4 hours.

The initiative follows severe air-quality deterioration—Delhi’s AQI soared into the “very poor” to “severe” category amid post-Diwali fire-crackers, crop-burning and cold-air inversions.

Though the experiment is historic for India’s capital, experts caution that cloud seeding is not a guaranteed solution. Its success depends heavily on favourable cloud conditions, moisture levels and wind patterns. In this first sortie, despite three flight attempts costing nearly ₹1.9 crore, measurable rainfall over Delhi remained elusive—only negligible precipitation was recorded in nearby areas.

While this weather-modification effort could provide short-term relief from airborne pollutants, the long-term fight against smog still requires systemic solutions: emissions control, industrial regulation, vehicular reforms and zero-stubble burning policies. The cloud-seeding trial is a novel tool—but not a substitute for foundational change in Delhi’s air-quality strategy.