New Delhi, 29 Oct

A day after two cloud seeding trials failed to trigger artificial rain, the Delhi government on Wednesday paused the experiment citing low moisture content in clouds, even as a political row erupted between the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the move.

IIT-Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal acknowledged that the team could not achieve rainfall in the national capital but said the effort provided “key insights” for future trials.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, however, claimed the trials were “successful” and marked an important step in understanding Delhi’s weather patterns.

“We reached a stage where we could conduct the trials. Nine to ten more trials will be carried out, after which we will know the moisture levels required to induce rain. Once IIT-Kanpur has concrete data, artificial rain can be used in Delhi whenever needed,” Sirsa told PTI.

According to IIT-Kanpur, which executed the trials, the exercise cost around Rs 60 lakh. Data from Tuesday reportedly showed a 6–10 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels, indicating that even limited cloud seeding could help improve air quality.

A senior government official said the next trial would depend on weather conditions over the coming days. “If moisture and cloud formation are favourable, the next trial will be conducted,” the official said.

Agrawal explained that the cost of the pilot project was minimal compared to Delhi’s overall pollution-control budget. “The trial covered about 300 sq km at a cost of roughly Rs 60 lakh — around Rs 20,000 per sq km. Even if expanded to 1,000 sq km, it would cost about Rs 2 crore,” he said in a video statement.

He added that if cloud seeding were conducted intermittently throughout winter, the total cost could reach Rs 25–30 crore — a small figure compared to other pollution mitigation measures. However, he admitted that low moisture in the clouds reduced the likelihood of inducing rain.

The exercise quickly became a flashpoint between the BJP-led Delhi government and the AAP.

AAP leaders mocked the effort, calling it “publicity-driven” and questioning the feasibility of such experiments in Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal posted on X, “All the engines of this government have failed. This government itself has completely failed.”

Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said no rain was reported despite the trials and pointed out that government agencies had earlier stated that cloud seeding was unsuitable for Delhi’s meteorological conditions.

“When central agencies had already said this can’t be done, what was the need for this experiment now?” he asked.

Hitting back, Sirsa accused AAP of being “jealous” and said the party had failed to conduct any such trial during its decade-long rule. “Now the Yamuna is cleaner, Chhath is being celebrated, and pollution levels are under control. They can’t tolerate progress,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 279, in the “poor” category, showing a marginal improvement from 294 a day earlier. On Monday, the AQI had slipped to 301, classified as “very poor”.