Delhi: Cloud seeding trials cleared for Oct-Nov; IIT Kanpur to conduct operations

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted permission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to conduct cloud seeding operations in Delhi during October and November this year, officials said on Wednesday.

The operations will be held under the strict safety, security and air traffic guidelines by the DGCA.

The clearance, issued under Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, allows IIT Kanpur's Department of Aerospace Engineering to conduct the activity using a Cessna 206-H aircraft.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the move is aimed at providing relief to residents from smog and severe air pollution that typically engulfs the city during the post-monsoon season.

"When pollution and smog rise, the cloud seeding will be carried out to give relief to the people of Delhi," he said.

The DGCA order specifies that the activity will be conducted without remuneration, under visual flight rules, and only after obtaining clearances from state and local authorities. The operations are authorised from October 1 to November 30.

The date for the cloud seeding trials had witnessed multiple postponements. At a press conference in July, Sirsa announced that the trial was delayed due to the arrival of the monsoon.

The trial was deferred until the end of August, as the rainy conditions were not ideal and could hinder the desired results.

Initially scheduled to be held between July 4 and 11, the trial has now been rescheduled.

Following consultations with meteorological experts and in light of current weather patterns, the project team proposed a revised window — from August 30 to September 10 — when monsoon activity was expected to recede. This window has also been extended to improve the chances of success.

The operation is being carried out by the Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Kanpur, in coordination with experts from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), using a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT).

"All necessary permissions and authorisations, including aerial-work clearance from the DGCA, have been obtained.

The operation will adhere strictly to all safety and environmental guidelines," Sirsa said earlier, adding that no photographers will be allowed during the process to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures. PTI NSM NSM MPL MPL