Delhi may attempt cloud seeding in the coming days.
IIT Kanpur team and aircraft are stationed.
Previous trials failed due to insufficient cloud moisture.
Delhi could see artificial rain through cloud seeding over the next two to three days as authorities explore weather modification to tackle the capital's worsening air pollution.
A joint operation involving the Delhi government, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), IIT Kanpur and Bengaluru-based aviation and weather technology firm Khyati Climate is being planned, Times Now reported.
An IIT Kanpur team is already in Delhi, with preparations underway for this year's cloud-seeding exercise. However, the operation will depend on whether suitable cloud conditions develop.
A Beechcraft 200 aircraft has also been stationed in Delhi for the exercise. An initial attempt planned for today was called off because the clouds were not suitable, according to the report.
Delhi could get another cloud-seeding attempt over the next two to three days, as weather forecasts suggest conditions may be favourable for the exercise. The operation will cover different parts of the capital, depending on where suitable clouds are present.
The proposed exercise comes as Delhi struggles with worsening air pollution. Its air quality took a further hit after Diwali celebrations on November 8, when firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution.
At 7 am on November 9, Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 368. As many as 15 monitoring stations recorded 'severe' air quality. Thick smog covered several parts of the capital, reducing visibility as residents woke up to another polluted morning.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique in which substances are introduced into clouds to encourage rainfall. Authorities are considering it as one possible measure to tackle the city's pollution.
However, Delhi's previous experiment did not produce the expected results. IIT Kanpur conducted two cloud-seeding trials on October 28, 2025, but neither triggered rainfall in the capital. The institute attributed the failure to insufficient moisture in the clouds. Only negligible rainfall was recorded in Noida and Greater Noida.
