Thick Fog Brings Delhi to a Standstill; Travel Disrupted

Dense Fog and Cold Conditions Disrupt Delhi Flights and Trains Another cold morning greeted Delhi on Wednesday, 17 January when dense fog conditions reduced visibility levels to minimize both air and rail travel. Minimum temperature plummeted to 6°C, or 1.4 degrees Celsius below normal, as northern India continued to grapple with a spell of severe cold wave. According to the India Meteorological Department, dense to very dense fog conditions were experienced in parts of the city mainly during the morning hours. The condition drastically reduced visibility in the national capital. As of 5:30 a.m., Safdarjung had a moderate fog visibility at 200 meters. Palam saw a visibility reduced to 150 meters in dense fog. Air Travel Affected The dense fog at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) led to major disruptions in flight operations. Over 100 flights were delayed on Wednesday morning, as visibility remained low. According to information from flight tracking site Flightradar24.com, delays affected both domestic and international flights. Since the runways of IGI Airport were working on Category III, which made it possible to land and take off aircraft even at low visibility, only aircraft fitted with all the CAT III technology could avail of this at IGI Airport. Other flights were conspicuous in the fiasco of the fog. Delhi International Airport Ltd said that landings and takeoffs were taking place but requested the passengers to approach their respective airlines to verify whether the flight timings had been altered so that this would not be a cause for unnecessary confusion. Railway Services Hit The dense fog, apart from affecting the air transport, also further delayed the train services going to and coming from Delhi. Reduced visibility resulted in delays of 26 trains. Trains were running several hours behind schedule on the morning of 17 January, with reports of delays the same day. The same problems had also been seen a day earlier on 16 January when the train services had also been affected due to the fog. Due to heavy fog, visibility has been severely affected, making travel risky. IMD issued an orange alert in Delhi stating that extreme weather is going to disrupt road, rail, and air services for the whole day. Authorities issue an orange alert when critical weather is anticipated. The appeal has been made to the people that care should be taken at every step. Weather Warning and Caution End The IMD forecasted that it would be a cloudy day with light rain or drizzle in some parts of the capital. The humidity at 8:30 a.m. was 97%, typical for foggy conditions, and the maximum temperature for the day was likely to touch about 19°C. Given that the dense fog was expected to linger in various segments of the city, IMD has asked drivers and travelers to use caution while on the road. People were informed to use fog lights that could brighten vision while driving through nights. Travellers were suggested to update about flights, trains, and other road journeys, so they won't face hurdles. At the same time, IMD instructed people not to travel unnecessarily during the time of early morning, when visibility would be the minimum. Cold Wave Conditions in Northern India Delhi is witnessing dense fog coupled with low temperatures as a prolonged cold wave hits northern India. The cold wave conditions have been much worse in some places such as Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, which are reporting significantly lower temperatures compared to what it usually sees for this time of the year. As per IMD, the region can expect these cold wave conditions to last several more days. This situation is conducive to air pollution since it combines fog with low temperatures in high humidity. Poor air quality in the capital has been continuous for weeks now, and this just gets worse when fog starts as pollutants cannot escape the atmosphere. Most of these years the AQI for the city falls into the "poor" to "very poor" category, thus posing health risks to its population, particularly the most vulnerable ones: children, the elderly, and people with respiratory issues. Existing Chronic Problem of Air Quality The dense fog, too, is adding to an already existing pollution problem in the city of Delhi. This fog has trapped chemicals in the atmosphere, reflecting them in different parts of the city, placing it in the "very poor" category in terms of AQI. For someone with other medical conditions, being outdoors in this air aggravates health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular problems. There is a limit to outdoor exposures, wearing of masks, and avoiding exposure as much as one can to these air pollutants. Though IMD has not issued further warnings concerning the quality of air, the experts have urged the government to take an instant measure for solving the pollution issue of the capital. The smoggy and cold city will face such issues of air quality and visibility repeatedly. Conclusion The thick fog envelops Delhi while temperatures remain pretty cold. This has, consequently affected the movement by both air and trains seriously. There are expectations of a prolongation of several days with more additional delays being forecasted in the flight and rail schedules. However, on the other hand, the city air quality is again under concern since the poor visibility worsens levels of pollution. It guides the residents well regarding travel time, careful and defensive driving against all adverse factors, and in precautions against negative impacts of wind, rain or smog air.