Meet Megh Banerji: India’s Original Rain Whisperer Who Pioneered Artificial Rain in 1952

Updated: November 02, 2025 10:50

Image Source: Zee News

Long before modern cloud seeding in Delhi, Dr. S.K. Banerji, India’s first artificial rainmaker, successfully triggered rainfall over Kolkata in 1952 using an innovative ground-based hydrogen balloon method. His pioneering work laid the foundation for India’s weather modification efforts decades ahead of others.

In the rich history of weather modification in India, the contributions of Dr. S.K. Banerji stand as a remarkable yet often overlooked chapter. Decades before Delhi began its famous cloud seeding experiments, Dr. Banerji, the first director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), conducted pioneering artificial rain experiments over Kolkata in 1952. Using hydrogen-filled balloons combined with silver iodide and salt, he seeded clouds from the ground with minimal resources. This innovative technique was far cheaper than the aircraft-based methods being pursued internationally at the time.

After retiring from the IMD, Banerji continued his experimentation while teaching at Jadavpur Engineering College. Despite skepticism and limited funding—mostly from the Scientific Research Council and the college itself—his determination led to successful rainfall induction over Kolkata. Neighbours affectionately nicknamed him “Megh Banerji,” meaning the man who could summon clouds.

Key highlights from Dr. Banerji’s work and its significance:

Conducted India’s first ground-based cloud seeding experiment in 1952, successfully inducing artificial rain over Kolkata.
Used hydrogen-filled balloons to release weather-modifying chemicals—silver iodide and salt—directly into moisture-bearing clouds.
Developed the pioneering method on a shoestring budget with limited institutional support.
Demonstrated cost-effective rainmaking techniques, contrasting with costlier aircraft seeding used later in India.
His work preceded Delhi’s first cloud seeding experiments by several years; Delhi's attempt began in 1957.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology later acknowledged his trailblazing contributions to rainmaking science in India.
Following his experiments, government cloud seeding research shifted focus to large-scale efforts at the National Physical Laboratory.

This historic episode not only underlines a crucial innovation in India’s meteorological research but also inspires the ongoing efforts today, including the recent drone and AI-based artificial rain experiments in Rajasthan’s Ramgarh Dam and Delhi’s pollution-reduction cloud seeding trials.

Sources: My Kolkata, The Telegraph India, Indian Express, Sanskriti IAS, Facebook Economic Times.

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