Many months after it was first proposed, Delhi's eagerly anticipated artificial rain experiment is still on hold. The trial has not yet been approved, despite being scheduled for after Diwali.
In July of this year, the Delhi government suggested an artificial rain experiment as a way to combat air pollution.
What the minister stated about the artificial rain in Delhi
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there were no clouds suitable for the testing, and no window is anticipated until October 25, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa informed news agency PTI.
"The day we get suitable clouds, we will conduct the trial immediately, as all preparations — from permissions to flight arrangements — are already in place," he stated.
The trial might take place any day following the Diwali celebrations, according to earlier reports. However, despite the pollution and AQI surge during this year's cracker-filled Diwali celebration, the idea is still on hold.
Deferred several times
A significant pledge made by the BJP-led government, the Delhi government's cloud seeding project has been repeatedly delayed for a variety of reasons.
Due to the monsoon, shifting weather patterns, disruptions, and now the absence of adequate cloud cover, it was postponed from its original July date. The experiment's precise date has not yet been set.
Under the direction of a group from IIT Kanpur, an aircraft equipped with cloud-seeding apparatus for the fake rain experiment is based at Meerut.

What is the cloud seeding initiative in Delhi?
In order to perform five cloud seeding trials in northwest Delhi, the Delhi government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is one of 23 departments that have approved the initiative, which attempts to investigate if artificial rain might be a practical way to combat wintertime pollution.
IIT Kanpur, which will use its own aircraft for the operation, has already received the funds. The activity will be conducted under visual flight regulations, without compensation, and only after receiving approval from state and municipal authorities, per a DGCA decision.
According to the statement, the cloud seeding operations are permitted from October 1 through November 30 and will adhere to stringent safety, security, and air traffic control regulations.
The Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur has been authorised to use a Cessna 206-H aircraft (VT-IIT) for the activity in accordance with Rule 26(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
The IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), located in Pune, are involved in the project.