🌧️ Is it really raining through drones in India? – Current S
🌧️ Is it really raining through drones in India? – Current Status
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1. Rajasthan: First drone-based artificial rain experiment at Ramgarh Dam
• Near Ramgarh Dam (Jaipur), India’s first AI drone-based cloud seeding experiment is underway.
• In this, AI-powered drones spray cloud seeding agents like sodium chloride into the clouds to induce rainfall.
• The project is being conducted in collaboration between GenX AI (a US and Bengaluru-based company) and the Rajasthan government.
• The AI platform called Hydro Trace is being used to analyze satellite images and meteorological data to identify the right cloud and time for seeding.
• This is a 60-day pilot project with a plan of conducting around 60 drone-based cloud seeding trials, depending on weather conditions.
Technical and Administrative Challenges:
• The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has imposed a height limit of 400 feet for drones, while effective cloud seeding requires drones to fly at around 10,000 feet (approx. 4,000 meters).
• Other technical issues include weak GPS signals, crowd interference, and drone crashes.
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2. Delhi: Artificial rain plan to reduce air pollution
• The Delhi Government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, has approved a plan to carry out cloud seeding trials to reduce winter smog and pollution levels.
• A total of five trial flights are planned, using Cessna aircraft to disperse silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt into the clouds.
• Each flight will cover around 100 square kilometers and last for approximately 1.5 hours.
• Pollution levels (PM₂.₅, PM₁₀) will be monitored in real-time using CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations).
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