India Tests Cloud-Seeding Over New Delhi to Tackle Severe Air Pollution

India Tests Cloud-Seeding Over New Delhi to Tackle Severe Air Pollution
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Indian authorities have launched a cloud-seeding experiment over New Delhi in an effort to combat the city’s extreme air pollution, The Independent reported. The initiative, carried out by a specialized aircraft dispersing chemicals into clouds, aims to induce rainfall to temporarily clear the toxic smog blanketing the capital.

The trial, conducted in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, was announced by Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who said further operations are planned in the coming days. Officials expect short spells of rain in parts of the city following the experiment.

Home to more than 30 million people, New Delhi consistently ranks among the world’s most polluted capitals. Each winter, air quality deteriorates sharply due to crop burning, industrial emissions, and stagnant weather conditions.

Environmental experts, however, remain skeptical. IIT professor Krishna Achuta Rao warned that cloud seeding offers only short-term relief, calling for stronger emission-control laws instead.

Another IIT Delhi researcher, Shahzad Gani, criticized the move as “misapplied science,” arguing that sustainable reforms—not symbolic gestures—are essential for long-term air quality improvement. Critics say temporary fixes fail to address the root causes driving India’s recurring pollution crisis.