Delhi woke up to a cold wave and dense fog on Christmas morning, which led to a sharp drop in temperatures and poor visibility throughout the city. The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, reported ANI. Many areas like Kartavya Path, Janpath, Dwarka, and India Gate experienced near-zero visibility due to the thick fog and hence the visibility was as low as 100 meters at 5:30 am.
Air Quality Index drops in Delhi
The AQI in various parts of Delhi, including Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar, was recorded in the ‘very poor’ range. For example, AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded at 359, 372 at Ashok Vihar, and 366 at Bawana as of 9 AM on Wednesday.
Locals complained about both the cold and pollution as many struggled with breathing difficulties. Some people even started using bonfires to stay warm as the temperature dropped after yesterday’s rain. Locals also stressed the need for the government to find a permanent solution to the city’s pollution problem.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is categorised as follows: 0-50 is good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is considered severe.
Trains to Delhi running late, Delhi Airport issues advisory
Indian Railways released a list of 20 trains that were coming to Delhi from various parts of the country but ot delayed due to dense fog conditions, and hence low visibility. Also due to these foggy conditions in the city, the IGI Airport issued an advisory on their social media platform X. The advisory mentioned that while flight operations continue at the airport, flights that do not meet CAT III standards could be impacted. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight updates.