Dense fog once again enveloped parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday, severely impacting transport operations. Visibility dropped to near zero, leading to delays and cancellations of numerous flights and trains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for moderate to very dense fog across several parts of North India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. In Delhi, the air quality index (AQI) registered at 408 around 6 a.m., which falls in the ‘severe’ category, escalating from the ‘very poor’ range. This sharp decline in air quality has raised concerns about health and safety across the region.
Dense fog has blanketed Delhi-NCR, reducing visibility to zero and affecting flight and train operations. The fog has caused delays for about 150 flights, averaging 41 minutes, and 26 trains.
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) provided an update on the situation on Friday morning, stating that poor visibility had impacted flight departures. However, DIAL reassured worried passengers that CAT III-compliant flights can land and depart from the airport. Moreover, hundreds of flights and trains have been cancelled or delayed due to thick fog in the past few weeks in North India.
As the fog continued to blanket Delhi, the capital’s air quality worsened further. The AQI of 408 recorded on Friday morning places the air quality in the ‘severe’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board defines AQI levels from zero to 50 as ‘good,’ and anything above 400 as ‘severe.’ As the fog lingers, the air quality is expected to remain poor throughout the day.
The IMD reported that the minimum temperature in Delhi was 9.6 degrees Celsius. On Friday, temperatures are expected to range between 6°C and 20°C, and the capital will experience chilly and foggy weather.
In response to the rising pollution levels, the Centre’s panel on Delhi-NCR’s air quality re-imposed stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Thursday. The move follows a sharp rise in pollution, driven by unfavourable meteorological conditions. The 24-hour average AQI reached 357 on Thursday, up from 297 on Wednesday.
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