A day after Delhi’s air quality dropped into the ‘poor’ category, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that the city government is preparing to conduct artificial rain in the next two to three days, provided the weather remains favourable.
Sirsa said on Wednesday (October 15) that all permissions have been secured and pilots have been trained for the cloud seeding process. “Both pilots have completed a trial over the area where the operation will take place. During the trial, they familiarised themselves with the terrain and flight route,” he said.
He added that the training and preparation have been underway for the past four days and have gone smoothly. “Once the Meteorological Department gives us the green signal, a sample of the cloud seeding will be carried out. We are waiting for suitable cloud conditions,” Sirsa explained.
The minister also mentioned that the artificial rain is likely to be conducted a day after Diwali or the following day, depending on the weather department’s clearance. “Whenever they give permission, we’ll be ready to take off within three hours. Everything required for cloud seeding is ready,” he said.
The announcement comes as Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 234 at 4 pm on Tuesday (October 14), slipping into the “poor” category for the first time in four months. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-1) across Delhi-NCR.
GRAP-1 measures are activated when the AQI crosses 200 and involve a 27-point action plan to curb pollution. These include steps to be taken by multiple agencies, including local bodies and pollution control boards.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
