NEW DELHI: Delhi’s cold-season weather is fundamentally unsuitable for consistent cloud seeding due to low moisture and saturation levels, particularly during December and January, according to a new report by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
The findings, based on a decade-long climatological analysis (2011–2021) by IIT’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, suggest that the technique offers limited and short-lived benefits for pollution control.
The report, cited by news agency PTI, said, “While cloud seeding is theoretically feasible under specific atmospheric conditions, during Delhi’s winter, its practical utility as a consistent and reliable air-quality intervention is constrained.”
It noted that necessary conditions for seeding—such as sufficient moisture and atmospheric lift—are rare, often coinciding with natural rainfall, thus limiting potential gains.
“Even when successful, induced rainfall would likely provide only a brief respite (typically one to three days) before pollution levels rebound. Given the high operational costs, scientific uncertainties, and the absence of impact on emission sources, cloud seeding cannot be recommended as a primary measure for Delhi’s pollution management,” the study said.
The analysis found that Delhi’s driest months—December and January—also witness the worst pollution levels. It added that suitable “windows of opportunity” for seeding, often linked to Western Disturbances, are rare and inconsistent.
The report further warned that despite occasional high aerosol loading , effective seeding remains difficult because the aerosol layer and seedable clouds exist at different altitudes.
The report concluded that emission reduction remains the only sustainable long-term solution to Delhi’s air pollution crisis.
IIT-Kanpur director Manindra Agrawal, whose team conducted the recent cloud-seeding trials in Delhi, was quoted by PTI as saying that cloud seeding should be viewed as an “SOS measure” rather than a permanent fix.
“It helps us understand the relationship between the amount of seeding material used, the moisture content of clouds, and their ground-level impact,” he said, adding that the process was paused due to low moisture levels.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the state government’s initiative, alleging “crores of taxpayers’ money” were wasted on what he called a “pointless drama.”
Speaking to news agency ANI, he claimed that expert agencies, including the IMD and CPCB, had already advised against artificial rain during this season.
The Delhi government had carried out two cloud-seeding trials in Burari, north Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, but both failed to produce rain.
Despite that, IIT-Kanpur said the exercise provided valuable data and showed a 6–10 per cent reduction in particulate matter levels, according to ANI.
The findings, based on a decade-long climatological analysis (2011–2021) by IIT’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, suggest that the technique offers limited and short-lived benefits for pollution control.
The report, cited by news agency PTI, said, “While cloud seeding is theoretically feasible under specific atmospheric conditions, during Delhi’s winter, its practical utility as a consistent and reliable air-quality intervention is constrained.”
It noted that necessary conditions for seeding—such as sufficient moisture and atmospheric lift—are rare, often coinciding with natural rainfall, thus limiting potential gains.
“Even when successful, induced rainfall would likely provide only a brief respite (typically one to three days) before pollution levels rebound. Given the high operational costs, scientific uncertainties, and the absence of impact on emission sources, cloud seeding cannot be recommended as a primary measure for Delhi’s pollution management,” the study said.
The analysis found that Delhi’s driest months—December and January—also witness the worst pollution levels. It added that suitable “windows of opportunity” for seeding, often linked to Western Disturbances, are rare and inconsistent.
The report further warned that despite occasional high aerosol loading , effective seeding remains difficult because the aerosol layer and seedable clouds exist at different altitudes.
The report concluded that emission reduction remains the only sustainable long-term solution to Delhi’s air pollution crisis.
IIT-Kanpur director Manindra Agrawal, whose team conducted the recent cloud-seeding trials in Delhi, was quoted by PTI as saying that cloud seeding should be viewed as an “SOS measure” rather than a permanent fix.
“It helps us understand the relationship between the amount of seeding material used, the moisture content of clouds, and their ground-level impact,” he said, adding that the process was paused due to low moisture levels.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the state government’s initiative, alleging “crores of taxpayers’ money” were wasted on what he called a “pointless drama.”
Speaking to news agency ANI, he claimed that expert agencies, including the IMD and CPCB, had already advised against artificial rain during this season.
The Delhi government had carried out two cloud-seeding trials in Burari, north Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, but both failed to produce rain.
Despite that, IIT-Kanpur said the exercise provided valuable data and showed a 6–10 per cent reduction in particulate matter levels, according to ANI.
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