CM Rekha Gupta calls cloud seeding 'necessity,' reveals Delhi will witness artificial rain on THIS day

As Delhi grapples with worsening air quality, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday (Oct 24) that cloud seeding has become a necessity for the Indian national capital. This comes as a day earlier, on Thursday (Oct 23), she said that preparations for inducing artificial rain through cloud seeding have been completed, calling it a pioneering step to address the city’s environmental crisis. Gupta also revealed when Delhiites can expect artificial rain and respite from "very poor" AQI. Read on for all the details.

First-of-its-kind experiment

Speaking to ANI, CM Gupta said, "Cloud seeding is a necessity for Delhi and is the first experiment of its kind. We want to try it in Delhi to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem." She added that the blessings of the people of Delhi would help make the experiment successful and pave the way to overcoming future environmental challenges.

This comes amid extremely poor air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), where the Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the 'poor' to 'very poor' categories. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as of 8 am on Friday, the overall AQI stood at 292, with areas such as Bawana (347), Burari (334), Ashok Vihar (320), and Jahangirpuri (348) experiencing 'very poor' pollution levels. Meanwhile, the AQI near Akshardham Temple and Anand Vihar surged to 403, classifying them in the 'severe' category. Other parts of the city, including ITO (316), AIIMS (295), and Dhaula Kuan (257), recorded 'poor' to 'very poor' air quality.

When will artificial rain be induced in Delhi?

In a pot on X, Gupta on Thursday revealed that Delhi may experience its first artificial rain on October 29, 2025. She wrote, "The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29, and 30. If conditions remain favourable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29".

The Delhi Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa too earlier indicated that clouds are expected over the city between October 28 and 30, with authorities ready to carry out cloud seeding on October 29.

Artificial rain successful in Burari

CM Gupta also congratulated Sirsa, and the officials involved, noting that the weather department had successfully tested the cloud seeding setup in the Burari area. She emphasised that the initiative is not only technically historic, but also aims to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi.