ANKARA

India carried out a cloud seeding trial flight over New Delhi this week to counter worsening air pollution, as smog linked to Diwali celebrations pushes the capital’s air quality into the “very poor” range, officials said.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights when firecrackers are widely used, has contributed to escalating pollution levels across the city in recent days, along with seasonal winter emissions that trap smog.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said a trial seeding flight was done on Thursday, in which "cloud seeding flares were fired."

He said the flight was the "proving flight for checking the capabilities for cloud seeding, the readiness and endurance of the aircraft, the capability assessment of the cloud seeding fitments and flares, and coordination among all involved agencies."

Preparations are underway for what could become the capital’s first artificial rainfall. Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta wrote on the US social media company X: “The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29, and 30. If conditions remain favorable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29.”

She added: “This initiative is not only historic from a technical perspective but is also set to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi…”

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.