Can Artificial Rain Clear The City’s Pollution?

Delhi’s bold new experiment to fight air pollution is here! From July 4-11, 2025, the BJP government in Delhi is launching cloud seeding trials to induce artificial rain and tackle the city’s notorious smog. In this video, we dive deep into how this groundbreaking initiative works, its potential to transform Delhi’s air quality, and the challenges it faces.

Using modified Cessna aircraft, experts from IIT Kanpur will disperse a scientifically formulated mix of silver iodide nanoparticles, iodized salt, and rock salt over 100 sq km in northwest and outer Delhi. This weather modification technique, known as cloud seeding, stimulates clouds to produce rainfall, washing away harmful pollutants from the air. Countries like China, USA, and the UAE have successfully used cloud seeding to manage rainfall and combat pollution, and now Delhi is following suit with this historic trial.

Delhi’s trials will involve five 90-minute sorties, each covering 100 sq km, targeting clouds to create rain that could offer temporary relief from the city’s hazardous air quality. But it’s not without challenges. Adequate cloud cover is critical, and during Delhi’s peak pollution season in winter, clouds can be scarce, making the process tricky. Other Indian states like Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan have tried cloud seeding to combat drought, with mixed results due to similar issues of insufficient clouds.