# Delhi plans cloud seeding after Diwali, conducts two trial runs 2026-11-05T08:31:53+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Delhi government has conducted two cloud-seeding trial runs near the airport in the past fortnight and is considering artificial rain after Diwali and Chhath to tackle worsening pollution, according to government sources. Sources told News9live and The Indian Express that officials are examining two to three possible dates including Chhath, but no official announcement is expected until after Diwali. The trials were flown at around 30,000 metres, higher than last year's (2025) operation at about 10,000 metres, which The Indian Express reports had no significant impact on the ground. Delhi's air quality index has neared 400 and 367, with some stations reported by The Federal in the severe category, including Jahangirpuri at 459 and IIT Delhi at 445. Firecracker emissions during Diwali are expected to push pollution higher. Cloud seeding's success depends on suitable weather conditions and sufficient moisture, and officials have declined to confirm plans when contacted by The Indian Express. Update, 5 November 2026: The Federal reports that Delhi's air quality index stood at 367, with Jahangirpuri at 459 and IIT Delhi at 445 in the severe category. It also notes that last year's (2025) trial at 10,000 feet failed to produce rain, while this year's trials were conducted at 30,000 feet. The other outlets confirm the trial details and government plans. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Indian Express and News9live both report the government's trials and post-Diwali plans in a straight news style, while The Federal leads with the failure of last year's effort and frames cloud seeding as a measure that leaves pollution sources ‘untouched’. The Federal also foregrounds specific ‘severe’ AQI readings at individual stations, which News9live and The Indian Express report as averages near 400. All three attribute the government's plans to unnamed sources and note officials declined to comment. The critical frame in The Federal is a matter of emphasis on efficacy and root causes, not a factual contradiction. All three outlets agree that no official announcement is expected until after Diwali. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral - news9live.com (neutral report) Straight news reporting of government plans and trial details - indianexpress.com (neutral report) Neutral report on trials and conditions for success - thefederal.com (government critical) Leads with last year's failure and questions efficacy This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Chhath, cloud seeding, Delhi government, Delhi pollution, Diwali, IIT Kanpur Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-government-conducts-artificial-rain-trials-may-seed-clouds-after-diwali/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-government-conducts-artificial-rain-trials-may-seed-clouds-after-diwali/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/