New Delhi: Dense fog reemerged in Delhi and its neighboring regions, including Ghaziabad and Noida, on Friday morning, resulting in visibility dropping to zero in certain areas. This situation led the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) to issue an advisory regarding potential disruptions to flight operations.
The onset of dense fog coincides with a worsening Air Quality Index (AQI) in the Delhi-NCR region. As reported by the Sameer app, the overall AQI in Delhi at 6:05 am on Friday was recorded at 409, categorizing it as ‘severe.’
While the exact number of flights and trains affected by the fog was not immediately available on Friday morning, it was noted that over 100 flights experienced delays at the Delhi airport.
At 5:30 am on Friday, Delhi’s temperature was recorded at 9.6 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which forecasted a minimum temperature of approximately 6 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature around 20 degrees Celsius, accompanied by “very dense fog.”
Flight operations at IGI airport were impacted, prompting the airport to issue an advisory at 4:25 am, urging passengers to check with their respective airlines for updates on flight statuses due to the anticipated operational disruptions caused by the fog.
In a subsequent advisory at 5:52 am, the airport confirmed that while there were delays in flight departures, CAT III compliant flights were still able to operate. The advisory stated, “Due to dense fog, there has been an impact on flight departures; however, flights that are CAT III compliant can land and depart from Delhi Airport. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for the latest flight information.”
Additionally, IndiGo posted on X at 5:04 am, advising passengers to remain informed about their flight status prior to arriving at the airport.
Delhi and other cities in the National Capital Region, including Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, experienced severe fog between January 2 and January 3, resulting in visibility dropping to zero in certain areas for an unprecedented duration of nine hours, marking the longest period of such conditions this season, as reported by the weather department.
On Thursday, Delhi enjoyed a sunny afternoon following a series of chilly days, with the maximum temperature reaching 21.2 degrees Celsius, which is 2.2 degrees above the seasonal average. However, the morning was notably colder, with a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius, a decrease from 7.4 degrees Celsius recorded on Wednesday. Light fog covered the city in the morning hours.
GRAP 3 reactivated due to worsening air quality
The central government’s panel addressing air quality in Delhi-NCR reinstated stage 3 anti-pollution measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in response to a significant increase in air pollution levels attributed to unfavorable meteorological conditions.
Air pollution levels in Delhi have been on the rise, with the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) reaching 357 at 4 PM, an increase from 297 on Wednesday, primarily due to “calm winds and foggy conditions.”
The Commission for Air Quality Management, tasked with developing strategies to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR, has instructed regional authorities to promptly implement the measures outlined under stage 3 to avert further deterioration of air quality.
The Central Air Quality Management (CAQM) classifies the Air Quality Index (AQI) as follows: an AQI ranging from 0 to 50 is deemed ‘good’, from 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, from 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, from 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, from 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’, and from 401 to 500 is classified as ‘severe’.
The implementation of GRAP Stage 3, which was lifted on Sunday, included a prohibition on non-essential construction activities. Furthermore, the annual report published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) indicates that Delhi experienced a 12 percent decrease in pollution levels compared to its baseline in 2017. The PM10 concentrations decreased from 241 to 211 µg/m³, according to the data; however, the city has yet to achieve its original target.
The report also noted that only 41 out of the 131 non-attainment cities identified in 2019 under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) successfully met their initial goal of attaining a 20-30 percent reduction in PM10 levels by the year 2024.
