Delhi’s air each winter transforms into a villain that no Bollywood scriptwriter would dare invent. A silent, suffocating haze. A sky the color of exhaustion. Hospitals full. Schools shut. Residents swallowing air like it might bite back. For years, the capital has pleaded for solutions beyond blame-games and odd-even vehicle schemes.

On October 28, 2025, a bold idea soared into those acrid skies: if the clouds won’t rain… coax them.
India’s most ambitious urban cloud seeding operation, focused around Burari in North Delhi, attempted to whip the atmosphere into coughing up moisture and washing away the pollution.

The results? Mixed, muted, but full of scientific promise.

How Delhi Tried to Engineer its Weather

This wasn’t a monsoon miracle. Cloud seeding only works when clouds already have some moisture to spare. Think of it as persuading a reluctant guest at a party to finally dance.

A collaboration between:

💥Delhi Government

💥IIT Kanpur

💥India Meteorological Department (IMD)

Scientists armed specialized aircraft with silver iodide, sodium chloride, and salt-based flares weighing between 2 to 2.5 kg each. Once fired into moisture-bearing clouds, these particles act like microscopic scaffolds on which water droplets can gather, merge, and eventually fall as rain.

🎯 Target Areas:

Burari, North Karol Bagh, Bhojpur, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur
Primarily, the pollution belt of northwest Delhi.

💸 Cost:

About ₹3.21 crore for five sorties.

A week earlier, a test sortie over Burari had rehearsed flight paths and deployment methods. Everything was lined up for success… except the weather.

A Science That Depends on the Sky’s Mood

To convert smog-choked air into showers of relief, clouds need at least 50% humidity.
During the October 28 attempt, readings hovered at a stingy 15–20%.

Clouds floated overhead like unwilling camels guarding their water.

Two attempts took place on Tuesday. The skies drizzled a tiny bit, teasing Delhiites with hope but keeping umbrellas bored and folded.

Meteorologists still eye the window from October 28 to 30, where forecasts hint at better cloud structures.
As part of the overall project, up to five trials are scheduled between October 1 and November 30, depending on cooperation from nature.

What the Government Says: A “Historic First Step”

Delhi’s new leadership hailed the operation as a milestone in the war against lungs-on-fire pollution.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called it “a pioneering intervention to protect public health when emergency measures fall short.”

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized that even temporary rain can drastically cut PM2.5 and PM10 levels following post-Diwali and stubble-burning pollution peaks.

The tone is cautiously celebratory. The mission isn’t just about cooling tempers; it’s about proving the practicality of weather modification in Indian urban conditions.

Scientists: “Don’t Expect Miracles. This is Experimental.”

Researchers at IIT Kanpur explain that cloud seeding isn’t a magic wand that summons rain out of thin air.

Key uncertainty factors:

💥Cloud microphysics

💥Temperature gradients

💥Aerosol composition

💥Atmospheric circulation

💥Vertical cloud development

In short, every raindrop is a complex chain reaction. One wrong link, and the sky stays dry.

Environmental scientists also warn that cloud seeding cannot replace emission control policies, nor can it solve Delhi’s underlying pollution sources.

It’s a relief measure. A pollution fire-extinguisher. Not a cure.

Why This Matters Beyond Rain

Even 5–30 mm rainfall can:

💥Scavenge pollutants out of the boundary layer

💥Settle dust and toxic aerosols

💥Give millions a few days of breathable air

For a city where AQI often crosses 500, temporary relief isn’t luxury. It’s survival.

The Delhi project positions India among a growing club of cities experimenting with weather modification for public health, especially during climate-charged pollution emergencies.

Cloud-Seeding Operation Timeline (Delhi, 2025)

💥August – September 2025: Pre-Project Planning

Scientists finalize flight routes, cloud-target mapping, chemical loads, and permissions for Delhi airspace.

💥October 21, 2025: Test Sortie Successful

A trial flight is conducted over Burari to verify flare deployment systems and moisture-tracking instruments.

💥October 28, 2025: OPERATION DAY 1

Two cloud-seeding sorties take off.

Target zones: Burari, North Karol Bagh, Bhojpur, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur.

Conditions: Low humidity (15–20%), resulting in very limited rainfall.

💥October 28–30, 2025: Monitoring Window

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) tracks cloud formation patterns.

A key criterion is set: Additional sorties will only be planned if moisture is ≥ 50% in target clouds.

💥October 29, 2025: POSSIBLE OPERATION DAY 2

Flights are on standby.

Further rain attempts are contingent on improved atmospheric conditions and cloud thickness.

💥By November 30, 2025: Trial Window Closes

A maximum of 5 flights are scheduled for the entire operation.

Post-operation activities begin:

Pollution impact assessment.

Cost-effectiveness review.

Strategy development for future winters.

Delhi has launched its most ambitious cloud seeding project to date, targeting Burari and surrounding areas with artificial rain attempts to combat extreme winter air pollution. Despite limited initial results due to low humidity, further sorties are planned through November as part of an experimental, science-driven strategy to provide temporary but vital relief from toxic smog.