Delhi on Thursday successfully conducted its first cloud seeding trial flight with flares fired between Khekra and Burari using advanced pyro techniques to test aircraft and equipment readiness.
The government
is ready to hold the cloud seeding between October 28 and 30, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said after the successful trial.
The flight, conducted jointly by the Delhi government’s environment department and IIT Kanpur, was carried out to test the readiness of aircraft, seeding flares, and coordination between all participating agencies before full-scale deployment. The flight was from IIT Kanpur to Delhi via Meerut, Khekra, and Burari before heading back to Kanpur via Aligarh.
The entire operation lasted around four hours, serving as a crucial preparatory step to ensure that Delhi’s artificial rain mission is implemented with precision and scientific accuracy.
“Today’s flight was a success in every technical parameter. We have now completed all required trials, including flare tests, fitment checks, and coordination protocols,” Sirsa said.
The minister said that the city is ready to witness its first artificial rainfall experiment.
“All systems—from aircraft to meteorological and environmental monitoring—are in place. Now, the only thing we await is the arrival of suitable clouds, expected around October 29–30, when the actual seeding will be conducted,” he said.
दिल्ली में पहली बार क्लाउड सीडिंग के माध्यम से कृत्रिम वर्षा कराने की तैयारियां पूरी कर ली गई हैं। आज विशेषज्ञों द्वारा बुराड़ी क्षेत्र में इसका सफल परीक्षण किया गया है।
मौसम विभाग ने 28, 29 और 30 अक्टूबर को बादलों की उपस्थिति की संभावना जताई है। यदि परिस्थितियां अनुकूल रहीं, तो…
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) October 23, 2025
I would like to thank Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt @gupta_rekha Ji for her leadership and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for his blessings because of which all permissions for this novel effort were timely available.
Today a trial seeding flight was done from IIT… https://t.co/IeyhjlWH8l pic.twitter.com/9y4vOOtx21
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 23, 2025
The Trial
According to the pilot’s report and data from the Windy professional system, shared by the Delhi government, the skies over the capital remained largely clear on Thursday, with only two small patches of clouds identified for testing near Burari. Flares were deployed successfully in these regions, confirming the operational capability of the aircraft and seeding equipment.
The flight was conducted using the pyro method, in which specially designed flares containing silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds are ignited and dispersed into the atmosphere through aircraft-mounted systems to stimulate condensation and cloud formation when sufficient moisture is present.
This successful flight marks a turning point in Delhi’s scientific approach to tackling air pollution. With all preparatory stages completed, the capital is now technically ready for its first full-scale cloud seeding and artificial rain.
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