‘All clearances in place for artificial rain pilot'

New Delhi: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said the artificial rain pilot is ready for execution, with all scientific systems and clearances in place. He mentioned that the cloud seeding flights will commence when suitable weather conditions—especially cloud moisture and depth—are observed over targeted zones.
"All preparations are complete except for a few minor operational clearances. Now, we're just waiting for the right clouds to appear. The moment the weather cooperates, Delhi will witness its first artificial rain. This is a national-first experiment rooted in science, executed with military-grade precision, and evaluated in real time," Sirsa said.
India Meteorological Department has confirmed cloud feasibility and will provide real-time data on cloud type, altitude, wind conditions, and dew point to aid planning.
As the pilot project will be executed in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, the institute will deploy specially equipped Cessna aircraft with flare-based seeding systems using a proprietary formulation made of Silver Iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt.
A maximum of five sorties are planned, with each flight covering 100 sq km and lasting at least 1 hour and 30 minutes over non-sensitive zones of northwest and outer Delhi. "Flights will avoid restricted airspace such as VIP-89 (Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, PM residence), as per standard aviation protocol. However, real-time impact on air quality (PM2.5 and PM10) will be measured using Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) placed in and around the seeding zones," Sirsa added.
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