&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "How much will it cost for cloud seeding in Delhi? IIT Kanpur Director says ‘one should not need to spend this money’ but...")
The Delhi government, under the BJP, is all set to seed with cloud-seed the national capital for its plan for artificial rain to get rid of unbearable air pollution. Meanwhile, the IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agarwal has revealed the estimated cost of the process that the government would have to spend every time for cloud seeding. He said a full winter-long operation could cost around ₹25 crore, which Agarwal described as “not very substantial” compared to Delhi’s overall pollution control budget, but still significant for a stop-gap measure.
“My back-of-the-envelope calculation is that for continuous seeding through an entire winter season, the cost will be ₹25 crore or thereabouts,” Agarwal told India Today TV.
“Ideally, one should not need to spend this money. But when there’s an SOS situation, this is the solution available," he added.
How will the process look?
In each trial, the flights will release a special mix into the clouds using a dedicated flare system. This mix has been developed by IIT Kanpur and contains silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt. This mixture will help in accelerating the formation of raindrops in moisture-laden clouds, enabling artificial rainfall.
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So far, the IIIT Kanpur has conducted seven successful in-house cloud seeding experiments between April and July. These experiments were done in drought-prone regions using the same aircraft and flare systems.
First-ever ARTIFICIAL RAIN in Delhi
The Delhi government conducted its first-ever artificial rain through cloud seeding from July 4 to 11, 2025. This came in an effort to curb pollution in the national capital. IIT Kanpur was in charge of the technical operations for this project, News18 reported, citing sources. BJP's Rekha Gupta-led government secured permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and plans to induce rain when weather conditions are favourable.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told the news agency, “Our aim is to give Delhiites clean air. That’s why we’re taking this bold step of artificial rain."
