Delhi Set For First Cloud Seeding Trial To Tackle Pollution: Environment Minister Sirsa

Delhi Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said that the first cloud seeding trial will be conducted in the capital today after the aircraft equipped to carry out the exercise arrives from Kanpur once visibility improves ther

Speaking to PTI, the minister said the visibility in Kanpur is currently at 2,000 metres and once it reaches 5,000 metres, the plane will take off for the trial.

"The flight will arrive in Delhi once the visibility improves (in Kanpur). The cloud seeding trial will be conducted today," he told PTI Videos.

Sirsa, Culture Minister Kapil Mishra and Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj accompanied Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as she offered 'Argyha' to the rising Sun on the concluding day of Chhath at the ITO Ghat on Tuesday morning.

"The festival was celebrated with much grandeur. Yesterday, our chief minister prayed to the setting Sun and today she sought blessings from the rising Sun for Delhi's progress," Sirsa said.

The minister also slammed the AAP for "spreading negativity" during festivities.

"For the last three days, AAP has been spreading negativity. They should have participated in the festivities. May Chhathi Maiya give them good sense," he said.

The trial, aimed at inducing artificial rain to tackle air pollution in the capital, is part of Delhi government's broader strategy to mitigate the deteriorating air quality during the winter months.

During the test run, small quantities of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds used to trigger artificial rain were released from the aircraft.

However, due to low atmospheric moisture of less than 20 per cent, as against the 50 per cent typically required for cloud seeding, rainfall could not be induced.

With PTI inputs