Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has successfully conducted a test flight for cloud seeding, the premier institution said in a statement issued on June 22.
Cloud seeding involves using many chemical agents such as silver iodide, dry ice, common salt, and other elements with the aim of enhancing the probability of rains. The Computer Science and Engineering Department of IIT Kanpur initiated the cloud seeding project a few years ago.
The test flight on June 21 went up to an approximate height of 5,000 feet. It landed on the IIT Kanpur lab airstrip after successfully completing the ride. The experiment was conducted with due approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
For the test flight, a Cessna aircraft was flown from the flight laboratory of IIT Kanpur with cloud seeding attachments procured from a US-based manufacturer. The modifications in the aircraft were approved by the manufacturers of the aircraft and the DGCA. Now, with the approval from the DGCA and successful completion of the first trial, the institution is close to completing the set-up, said the Computer Science and Engineering Department team.
