Dense Fog Causes Major Disruptions in Delhi-NCR: 150 Flights and 26 Trains Delayed
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New Delhi, Jan 10 (NationPress) Dense fog shrouded portions of the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday, causing visibility levels to plummet to zero and impacting both flight and train operations. This significant reduction in visibility led to delays for more than 150 flights for an average of 41 minutes and affected around 26 trains.
In an update regarding the situation, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced on Friday morning that flight departures had been “impacted” due to the heavy fog. Nevertheless, DIAL assured anxious passengers that CAT III-compliant flights are capable of landing and taking off from the airport.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for moderate to very dense fog in several areas of North India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
In the preceding weeks, hundreds of flights and trains have faced cancellations or delays due to the persistent thick fog across North India.
On Friday morning, vehicles in various parts of Delhi-NCR moved slowly due to the poor visibility, with many drivers turning on their hazard lights to enhance their visibility to others and avert accidents.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 408 around 6 a.m., dropping into the ‘severe’ category from ‘very poor’, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, the AQI in Noida registered at 328, categorizing it as ‘Very Poor’, while Greater Noida recorded a ‘Poor’ AQI of 295. Ghaziabad also fell into the ‘Very Poor’ range with an AQI of 318.
In Haryana’s Gurugram and Faridabad, the AQI levels were recorded at 303 and 317, respectively, both falling under the ‘Very Poor’ category.
The AQI classifications are as follows: 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
The IMD reported that Delhi's minimum temperature was recorded at 9.6 degrees Celsius.
The weather agency indicated that the maximum and minimum temperatures in the capital would fluctuate between 6 and 20 degrees Celsius on Friday.
The governmental panel overseeing Delhi-NCR's air quality reinstated stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Thursday due to a significant rise in air pollution levels attributed to unfavorable meteorological conditions.
