Delhi Govt signs MoU with IIT Kanpur for cloud seeding trials in Oct-Nov, costing ₹3.2 crore; signed at Delhi Secretariat in presence of CM Rekha Gupta.

Delhi : During October 7–9, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that the first cloud seeding trial in the nation’s capital would take place in northwest Delhi. The declaration was made in response to the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to perform pilot cloud seeding operations in an effort to reduce air pollution.

At the Delhi Secretariat, the deal was signed in front of Sirsa and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Sirsa told a news conference that the government has all the approvals it needs to conduct up to five trials in the upcoming two months.

October and November will see the trials, which are expected to cost Rs 3.2 crore. “We will first evaluate the outcome of the initial attempt and then decide on the subsequent ones,” stated the politician.

According to Gupta, her government is addressing pollution on “every possible front” that includes lowering smog emissions and encouraging electric vehicles. This Memorandum of Understanding will open the door for cloud seeding studies that will benefit Delhi and be historic, she said.

“The Memorandum of Understanding signed today opens the door for a two-month cloud seeding trial that will be conducted utilizing airplanes on appropriate days in October and November. We will use the results to guide our decision. “This project will be both historic and advantageous for Delhi,” she continued.

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IIT Kanpur has been authorized by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to carry out cloud seeding activities in Delhi in October and November.

The DGCA’s stringent safety, security, and air traffic regulations will govern the operations.

Per the Aircraft Rules, 1937, Rule 26(2), the approval permits the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur to use a Cessna 206-H aircraft for the activity. Under the DGCA directive, the activity must be carried out under visual flying regulations, without compensation, and only after receiving approval from state and municipal authorities. October 1 to November 30 is the allowed period for the operations.

Many postponements have been made to the cloud seeding trials date. The onset of the monsoon caused Sirsa to announce in July that the trial would be postponed.

Due to the possibility that the intended outcomes could be hampered by rainy weather, the study was postponed until the end of August. The trial was finally delayed from its original July 4–11 date.

As monsoon activity was predicted to subside, the project team suggested a revised timeframe from August 30 to September 10 after consulting with meteorological specialists and taking current weather trends into consideration. The purpose of extending this window was to increase the likelihood of success.

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Utilizing a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT), the operation is being conducted by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur in collaboration with specialists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. To ensure adherence to normal operating procedures, Sirsa previously stated that the operation will rigorously follow all safety and environmental rules. She also added that no photographs will be permitted during the process.