Delhi's 1st cloud seeding experiment fails to trigger rain

India Oct 29, 2025

Delhi just ran its first cloud seeding experiments, hoping to trigger rain and clear out the city's intense air pollution.
On October 28, a Cessna from IIT Kanpur released flares over areas like Burari and Mayur Vihar—but by late October 28, there was still no rainfall in Delhi itself (just a little in Noida).

Cloud seeding to be part of Delhi's anti-pollution playbook

With air quality stuck at "very poor" levels (AQI above 300) thanks to smog and crop burning, officials are looking for new solutions.
The ₹3.2 crore project did lead to small drops in pollution numbers—like PM2.5 levels dropped by 6-10% in Mayur Vihar—but experts suggest that real change needs bigger action.
More trials are coming soon as the government weighs making cloud seeding part of Delhi's long-term anti-pollution playbook.