Preparations for artificial rain in Delhi complete as Cessna plane reaches Meerut

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): To clear the severe air pollution and toxic smog that has engulfed the capital since Diwali, Delhi may receive its first cloud-seeding in the next three days. A Cessna aircraft was dispatched on Thursday for this crucial mission.

The move comes just a day after Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said he was unable to find suitable clouds for artificial rain experiments. He also said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had not expressed any hope for such a scenario until October 25th.

According to a report published in News18, a Cessna aircraft has departed from Kanpur for Meerut to conduct the cloud seeding operation. Officials say that if weather conditions are favorable, the test could be conducted any time in the next three days. Currently, the operation is being kept highly confidential and details will only be shared after the mission is complete.

This pyrotechnic cloud seeding process involves installing eight to ten pockets under each wing of the Cessna aircraft. These pockets are filled with special chemicals (seeding materials).

To trigger rain, the aircraft will fly below the clouds and release these chemicals from the cockpit in a controlled manner. These chemicals (flares) will react with the clouds and initiate the rain process. According to officials, the estimated impact area of this operation could be approximately 100 kilometers.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa had said on October 22, “The day we get suitable clouds, we will immediately conduct the test as all preparations, from permission to flight arrangements, have already been completed.”

Earlier, it was indicated that the test could take place any day after Diwali. The Delhi government's cloud seeding project has been postponed several times for various reasons. It was initially scheduled for July, but was stalled first by the monsoon, then by changing weather patterns, and most recently, by a lack of suitable clouds.