Delhi to try out artificial rain on October 29
Delhi is set to try out artificial rain for the first time on October 29, hoping to clear up its notorious post-Diwali air pollution.
If the weather cooperates, cloud seeding planes will release special chemicals into the sky—something the city tested with a trial flight this week.
The India Meteorological Department says clouds should be just right between October 28 and 30.
Test flight was successful
No actual rain fell during Thursday's test because humidity was too low, but officials say all systems worked as planned.
The ₹3.21 crore project plans five trials with help from IIT Kanpur, but real results depend on humidity levels above 50%.
Why cloud seeding?
Every year after Diwali, Delhi's air gets dangerously polluted. By using cloud seeding—basically encouraging clouds to drop rain—the city hopes to wash away some of that smog.
Officials see this as a scientific way to tackle pollution when it's at its worst.