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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Delhi gets DGCA nod for first cloud seeding trials to tackle air pollution; ‘historic achievement', says Minister Manjinder Sirsa
Delhi has become the first state in India to receive final clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for conducting cloud seeding trials aimed at reducing pollution, according to officials in the Environment Department. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced the development on Tuesday, calling it a 'historic achievement' and a major step forward in Delhi's fight against air pollution. Cloud seeding has been spoken about for years but never implemented, Sirsa said. The method involves dispersing hygroscopic particles like sodium chloride below the cloud layer to encourage rainfall and help wash out pollutants from the atmosphere. The trials, originally planned for early July, will now be held between August 30 and September 10, over areas including Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur and the Kundli border. 'For ten years, it remained only on paper. We took it up, secured all approvals including from the DGCA, and now Delhi will finally witness cloud seeding,' he said. The aircraft to be used for the operation is a Cessna 206-H (VT-IIT), operated by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur. It is fully fitted with cloud seeding equipment and will be manned by a trained crew with prior experience in similar missions. Sirsa added that while the original window approved by the DGCA was July 4 to 11, experts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, advised postponing the exercise. The experts cited that weather conditions during that time were not ideal for cloud seeding. Based on their recommendation, IIT Kanpur and the Delhi government requested a revised schedule, now approved for the end of August to early September, the minister explained. The DGCA's permission comes with strict conditions. The flights must be conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), with full visibility of terrain at all times. Use of aerial photography or videography is banned during operations, and the aircraft must stay within approved airspace. Operators must also coordinate closely with Air Traffic Control, report any abnormal incidents, and ensure that all activities are properly documented. Sirsa said the effort is part of the larger Environment Action Plan 2025, which aims to prepare Delhi for the winter season when air quality typically worsens. 'These trials will give us critical data to fine-tune and scale up cloud seeding efforts later in the year. Our aim is to create a cleaner winter for Delhiites,' he said. He also pointed out that Delhi is the only city where both the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal had to intervene due to the poor air quality. 'That pressure was a result of inaction in the past. Today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Delhi, we're changing that. We're not waiting for court orders — we're taking action,' he said. Taking a jibe at previous governments, Sirsa said, 'They spent a decade writing letters. We secured approvals within four months after several rounds of meetings. The aircraft is ready, the equipment is in place, and the pilots are trained.' To help assess the success of the initiative and explore the possibility of wider implementation in the future, the data from the trials would be shared with central pollution control authorities, scientific agencies, and the courts, Sirsa said.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
DGCA nod in, but cloud seeding pushed to Aug-end now
New Delhi: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given the final nod to Delhi govt for cloud seeding in the city. However, the govt said that, based on suggestions from meteorologists, trials would now take place between Aug 30 and Sept 10, instead of the previously declared July 4 to 11. Delhi govt has also finalised a tentative flight plan with a map of the area over which the cloud seeding experiment will be conducted. The sorties have been planned over Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur and parts of Eastern Peripheral Expressway. A fully equipped aircraft, VT-IIT (Cessna 206-H), and a trained crew are ready to get deployed. The sorties will focus on areas most likely to support low-altitude cloud formation and high pollution retention, according to Delhi govt. Calling the move "historic", environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the DGCA nod made Delhi the first city in the country to get clearance for cloud seeding. "Cloud seeding has been spoken about for years but never implemented. For 10 years, it remained on paper. We took this up, coordinated with 13 departments, secured all approvals, including from DGCA, and now Delhi will finally witness cloud seeding between Aug 30 and Sept 10. This is a historic achievement," he said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The original DGCA clearance was for the July 4-11 experiment, but the input from India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, suggested that monsoon cloud patterns during this window might not support optimal cloud seeding, Sira said. As a result, IIT Kanpur, in consultation with Delhi govt, requested for the better suited window of Aug 30-Sept 10. Cloud seeding is a weather-modification measure that introduces substances into the air to aggregate and condense moisture particles into rain. In this technique, elements such as silver iodide (AgI) are released into the atmosphere to aid the formation of ice crystals that lead to rain. The Delhi cabinet, on May 7, approved a proposal to conduct five trials with a total project outlay of Rs 3.21 crore. The trials were initially to be carried out in late May and early June in collaboration with IIT Kanpur. Sirsa emphasised that the trials were part of a larger, data-driven strategy under Environment Action Plan 2025 to combat Delhi's poor air quality during the winter. "These trials, scheduled for late Aug and early Sept, are scientifically timed to gather data, which will be vital to calibrating and scaling up efforts during the Oct-Dec period, when Delhi typically faces increased AQI levels," he explained. Taking a dig at the previous administrations, Sirsa said, "While they only wrote letters for 10 years, we've secured clearances after conducting multiple marathon meetings and follow-ups with every required agency in just four months. The aircraft is ready, the equipment is in place, and the pilots are trained." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
News18
4 days ago
- Science
- News18
Delhi To Now Get Artificial Rains In September With India's First DGCA-Approved Cloud Seeding Trials
Calling it a 'historic step towards implementing science-based environmental solutions", the Delhi government on Tuesday announced that it has secured final Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clearance for conducting cloud seeding trials over Delhi. 'The approval marks the beginning of Delhi's first-ever airborne experiment to mitigate pollution through induced precipitation," the statement said. Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that cloud seeding has been spoken about for years but never implemented. 'For ten years, it remained on paper. We took this up, coordinated with 13 departments, secured all approvals, including from DGCA, and now Delhi will finally witness cloud seeding between August 30 and September 10. This is a historic achievement," he said. The Plan As per the tentative flight plan prepared by the experts, cloud-seeding aircraft will fly over Kundli border zones, Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur, and some stretches along the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. The sorties will focus on areas most likely to support low-altitude cloud formation and high pollution retention. The cloud seeding method will involve dispersion of hygroscopic particles, like sodium chloride or other aerosols, from below the cloud layer, enhancing precipitation and improving pollutant washout in the lower atmosphere. IIT Kanpur Leading The operations will be led by the department of aerospace engineering, IIT Kanpur, using aircraft VT-IIT (Cessna 206-H), which has been fully equipped with cloud-seeding instrumentation. The crew has prior experience in similar flight missions, and all mandatory DGCA conditions, including licenses and certifications, have been complied with. For Smog-Free Winters The cloud seeding trials are part of a larger, data-driven strategy, under the Environment Action Plan 2025, to combat Delhi's toxic air during the winter months. 'These trials, scheduled for late August and early September, are scientifically timed to gather data which will be vital to calibrating and scaling up efforts during the October–December period, when Delhi typically faces increased AQI levels," the minister explained. Rescheduled Timeline
