Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of fog on Saturday morning, causing significant disruptions in flight and train services. Visibility was severely impacted creating challenges for commuters and disrupted transportation schedules. Regions in North India including Uttar Pradesh witnessed dense fog, further obstructing daily activities.
Several flight and trains delays
The foggy weather conditions halted operations at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and New Delhi Railway Station, resulting in delays in both trains and flights. According to Indian Railways, 47 trains were running late till 6 am because of the foggy weather in the national capital. Passengers had to experience uncertainty as transport services were struggling with low visibility. Meanwhile, the temperatures dipped to 11.2 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am, as per the India Meteorological Department.
Delhi Air Quality measured a slight development at 248, despite foggy weather conditions. This improvement led the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to remove the restrictions under Stage -III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The AQI level also shifted from ‘‘severe’’ to ‘’very poor’’ category. Favourable meteorological conditions have been credited for this progress. However, Stage-I and Stage -II measures continue to be in force for keeping a regular watch and preventing further deterioration.
Cold Wave Impact
As the temperature dropped, Delhi’s homeless took night shelters to brave the cold. Around 235 pagoda tents have been set up across the city to provide shelter by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Similar weather conditions prevailed in Uttar Pradesh where bonfires were lit near Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya for staying warm. In Prayagraj, dense fog engulfed the Maha Kumbh site, where more than 7 crores of pilgrims have taken part in holy dips at Triveni Sangam in the 45-day event.
(With updates from ANI)