Dense fog smothered Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) early on Wednesday, throwing flight schedules off track and keeping the capital locked in toxic air just hours before the New Year.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was operating under Category-III conditions, allowing landings in low to near-zero visibility. But airlines warned that delays and disruptions could mount through the morning.
The India Meteorological Department kept a yellow alert in place, warning that dense fog is likely to persist through the day. It forecast generally cloudy skies with light rain on New Year’s Day, offering little immediate relief.
Airlines issued advisories, urging passengers to check flight status before leaving home. IndiGo said fog across Delhi and northern India could impact departures and arrivals as the day progresses, advising travellers to factor in extra time for road travel.
Air India warned of cascading delays and said it had preemptively cancelled some fog-prone morning flights to spare passengers long waits at airports.
While travel took a hit, the air quality offered no breather. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index stood at a 'very poor' 383 at 7 am, with 16 of the city’s 38 monitoring stations reporting 'severe' air quality. Anand Vihar, one of Delhi’s worst pollution hotspots, slipped into the 'severe plus' category at 452.
According to Central Pollution Control Board data, other stations also recorded alarming levels of pollution: ITO and Rohini were at 426, Chandni Chowk at 419, and RK Puram 411.
Cities adjoining Delhi weren't breathing any easier. Gurugram logged an AQI of 348, Ghaziabad was at 378, while Noida was gasping at 391. At 276, Faridabad's air quality was marginally better, but still 'poor'.
The Air Quality Early Warning System said pollution levels are likely to turn 'severe' on December 31 and January 1, before easing slightly to 'very poor' on January 2. For at least six days after, air quality is expected to remain very poor.
Officials blamed the grim outlook on weak winds and poor ventilation, conditions that trap pollutants close to the ground.
Temperatures are expected to stay near normal over the next 24 hours, rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the next two days, and then fall again afterward -- keeping Delhi-NCR’s New Year firmly under a cold, polluted haze.
Source: India Today