IIT-Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal stated on Wednesday that the cloud seeding trial in Delhi, which did not result in rain, was informative and highlighted that the cost was relatively low compared to pollution control expenditures in the city. The Delhi government, in partnership with IIT-Kanpur, conducted two cloud-seeding trials in Burari, north Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar on Tuesday, but no rain was produced, with only minimal rainfall occurring in Noida and Greater Noida afterward. Agrawal mentioned that the trial covered an area of 300 square kilometers, with an estimated cost of around Rs 60 lakh, translating to approximately Rs 20,000 per square kilometer. If expanded to 1,000 square kilometers, the cost would be about Rs 2 crore.
He further explained that if conducted throughout the winter, assuming clouds appear every ten days, the total cost would be between Rs 25 to Rs 30 crore, which he considered a manageable amount compared to the significant funds allocated for pollution control in Delhi. Agrawal emphasized that the low moisture content in the clouds, about 15 percent, significantly reduced the likelihood of inducing rainfall. Despite not achieving the desired rainfall, the trial provided valuable data, including the establishment of 15 monitoring stations for air pollution and moisture levels, leading to some reduction in PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa described the trials as successful and criticized the opposition AAP for their jealousy towards the BJP-led government. He noted the previous government’s failures in similar exercises and mentioned plans for additional trials to determine the moisture content necessary for inducing rain. The Aam Aadmi Party responded by questioning the effectiveness of the cloud-seeding efforts, highlighting the lack of recorded rainfall despite claims of artificial rain and expressing skepticism about the feasibility of such initiatives in Delhi.
