RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “DELHI ENVIRONMENT MINISTER MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA” HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY —

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NEW DELHI, INDIA (OCT. 28, 2025) (DELHI ENVIRONMENT MINISTER MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA - RESTRICTED)

1. MINISTER OF DELHI, MANJINER SINGH SIRSA, SPEAKING (Indian) TO CAMERA NEW DELHI, INDIA - OCT. 28, 2025 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “DELHI ENVIRONMENT MINISTER MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA” HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — Indian authorities conducted a cloud-seeding experiment over smog-covered New Delhi on Tuesday, Oct. 28, in a bid to trigger rainfall and reduce the city’s severe air pollution.

A plane sprayed chemicals into clouds to induce rain and wash away pollutants, as air quality remained in the “very poor” range, officials said.

“Today, the second cloud-seeding trial was conducted in Delhi. A Cessna aircraft took off from Kanpur and flew over Khekra, Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur, and Bhojpur before landing at Meerut Airport. During the flight, eight cloud-seeding flares were released using pyrotechnic techniques.” Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a statement.

Air quality has declined for days in the capital and surrounding areas, with the use of firecrackers during the Hindu festival of lights contributing to the haze. Pollution typically worsens in the winter when nearby farmers burn crop residue and industrial and coal-fired emissions continue to trap smog.

Environmental experts say the poor air quality in the city of more than 16 million stems from a mix of factors, including weather conditions that limit dispersion.

The federal government-run Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that pollution will remain in the “very poor to poor category” in the coming days.
India tests cloud seeding in New Delhi amid worsening air pollution