Dense fog blankets Delhi as air quality worsens; trains delayed, flight operations hit
PTC News Desk: Dense fog disrupted normal life across Delhi on Monday morning, leading to the cancellation of several flights and significant delays in train services. Visibility dropped to near zero, slowing early-morning traffic across the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for fog and advised people to remain cautious. Morning temperatures fell to around 12°C.
The weather conditions worsened Delhi’s already poor air quality. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped into the “Severe Plus” category, crossing 456. Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 500 in the early hours. Thick toxic smog was seen in areas such as Anand Vihar and Akshardham, where AQI levels touched 493, classified as ‘Severe’. Similar conditions were reported in Dwarka with an AQI of 469. In nearby Noida, air quality was also extremely poor, with the AQI reaching 454, placing it in the ‘Severe Plus’ category.
According to AQI standards, readings between 51–100 are considered ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, 401–450 ‘severe’, and 451–500 ‘severe plus’.
Videos circulating on social media showed dense fog covering large parts of Delhi-NCR, making driving extremely dangerous. Poor visibility also affected air travel, with several flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport cancelled. More than 20 Air India flights and multiple IndiGo services were grounded as a precautionary safety measure.
"Poor visibility due to dense fog in Delhi this morning has impacted flight operations for all airlines. We are closely monitoring conditions and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so. In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for our guests, some flights have been cancelled," Air India said in an official statement.
- PTC NEWS
