Delhi Government Cancels Cloud-Seeding Trials After Two Failed Attempts

A day after two cloud-seeding trials failed to produce artificial rain over Delhi, the city government on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) cancelled two more trials scheduled for the day, citing insufficient moisture content in the clouds.

The decision triggered a political exchange, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioning the feasibility of the project under Delhi’s current “unfavourable” climatic conditions, while the government maintained that the exercise was a “success” in terms of data collection.

Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, which is collaborating with the Delhi government, said that while Tuesday’s trials failed to induce rain, they provided valuable data on atmospheric conditions and moisture requirements for future attempts.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa hailed the trials as “historic”, stating that the government had achieved a “milestone” by conducting them. “Once IIT Kanpur analyses the data, we’ll know what level of moisture is needed to induce rain in Delhi when required,” he said, adding that more trials would be held in the coming days.

However, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the move, alleging that the government was ignoring prior expert warnings about the project’s viability. “The BJP-led government is misleading people when even the Union Environment Ministry has said artificial rain isn’t feasible in Delhi’s dry winter months,” he said, also expressing concern over the health risks of the chemicals used.

In a Rajya Sabha statement from December 2024, the Union Environment Ministry had cited expert opinions that cloud seeding in Delhi was “difficult and unreliable” during winter due to low humidity and unsuitable cloud conditions, alongside uncertainties about the process’s efficacy and environmental safety.

Notably, the previous AAP government had also explored the option of cloud seeding and sought central clearances for similar trials but did not receive approval.