Did Delhi's cloud seeding fail? Absolutely tried on October 28, bombed spectacularly, and today's October 29 operations were canceled before takeoff. No artificial rain fell, no smog washed away, just sunny skies mocking the government's grand promises. This ₹3 crore+ experiment, sold as a pollution-busting miracle, exposed classic admin blunders: overhyping unproven tech, ignoring science basics, and diverting funds from real solutions.

The Botched Timeline

• Oct 28 Trials: IIT Kanpur's plane flew twice from a UP airstrip, dumping silver iodide over northwest Delhi spots like Khekra. Result? A pathetic 0.1-0.2 mm drizzle in Noida outskirts—barely enough to wet a sidewalk. Citywide? Zilch. AQI hovered "very poor" at 275-327, with minor PM2.5 dips (6-10%) that evaporated fast.
• Oct 29 Shutdown: Zero flights. Why? Atmospheric moisture at a dismal 10-20% way below the 50% threshold for seeding to work. IIT boss Manindra Agrawal called it "not fully successful," a polite way to say flop. IMD predicted partly cloudy turning clear; your rain-free day proves it.

Govt leaders like CM Rekha Gupta and Minister Manjinder Sirsa boasted "historic" rain to clear post-Diwali haze from stubble fires and crackers. Instead, it's a taxpayer-funded farce—costs ballooned to ₹1.9 crore per full op, with four more "trials" dangling if clouds magically appear.

Core Govt Failures

1. Science Denial: Cloud seeding enhances existing moisture; Delhi's winter dry inversions trap pollutants without rain potential. Experts warned this years ago—2023 parliamentary reports deemed it "infeasible" here. Yet, BJP pushed ahead for optics, skipping pilot data.
2. Wasteful Spending: That cash could've bought 100+ smog towers, subsidized EVs, or enforced Punjab farm fire bans (1,000+ incidents this season). Instead, it's flares in thin air.
3. PR Over Policy: Reactive stunts dodge root causes—lax GRAP rules, unchecked construction dust, vehicle overload. AAP calls it "fraud"; even allies admit conditions weren't met.
4. Health Neglect: Millions breathe toxic soup (AQI 300+ risks heart/lung issues). No backups like odd-even cars or school closures triggered timely.

This isn't innovation; it's incompetence. China seeds deserts successfully with tailored tech Delhi chased headlines. Pending trials? Likely more duds unless monsoon-like humidity hits winter.

Delhi needs enforcement, not experiments. Fix emissions at farms and roads, or admit defeat to smog forever. Residents: Mask up, demand accountability this failure stings worse than the haze.