Severe Fog and Pollution Disrupt Daily Life and Flights in Delhi

Impact of Fog and Pollution on Delhi

On Friday, Delhi continued to grapple with dense fog and severe pollution, significantly affecting daily activities and air travel. The low visibility and toxic air quality led to major disruptions in flight operations, with meteorological officials warning that conditions could worsen over the weekend. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for dense fog on Saturday, indicating that many areas in the city could experience thick fog in the morning, along with light haze at night. Similar conditions are expected to persist into Sunday and Monday, with dense fog likely in certain regions.

Air Quality Index Remains Hazardous

The air quality in Delhi remained dangerously poor, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 374 on Friday, categorizing it as 'very poor.' Morning readings were even worse, nearing the 'severe' level, as several monitoring stations reported extremely unhealthy air levels.

Flight Cancellations and Delays

Due to the dense fog, flight operations at Delhi Airport were severely disrupted on Friday, resulting in the cancellation of at least 177 flights and delays for over 500 others. An official confirmed that the cancellations included both departures and arrivals of international flights. According to the flight tracking website, approximately 500 flights experienced delays at the airport.

Ministry's Response to Weather Conditions

In a post on social media, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that it is collaborating with the IMD to make real-time weather-based decisions. The operator of Delhi Airport, DIAL, also posted an update indicating that operations were running normally without disruptions as of 7:10 PM on Friday.

Air India Express announced the cancellation of flights to various destinations including Pune, Ranchi, Indore, Patna, Goa, Varanasi, and Jodhpur due to fog. Similarly, IndiGo reported that severe cold and dense fog were affecting flights in the Delhi NCR, Amritsar, Jabalpur, and Jalandhar areas, leading to changes in flight schedules due to fluctuating visibility levels.

Supreme Court Calls for Long-term Solutions

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court criticized temporary measures for pollution control and urged authorities to focus on sustainable solutions. The court emphasized the need for coordinated action between Delhi and neighboring states and plans to review the matter again in early January.