Dense fog alert: Zero visibility in parts of Delhi NCR, AQI ‘severe’; over 100 flights delayed at IGI airport

Dense fog returned to Delhi and its adjoining areas such as Ghaziabad, Noida on Friday morning, with visibility dropping to zero in some places, which prompted the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) to issue an advisory over possible impact on flights.

The dense fog comes amid a deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR. The overall AQI of Delhi at 6:05 am on Friday stood at 409, the ‘severe’ category, according to Sameer app, which provides hourly data on the National Air Quality Index.

The number of flights and trains affected due to dense fog was not immediately known on Friday morning, however, reported that more than 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport.

Delhi’s temperature stood at 9.6 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am on Friday, as per the data of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which predicted the minimum temperature in the city to likely be around 6 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature was expected to hover around 20 degrees Celsius with “very dense fog.”

Flight ops hit at IGI airport

Delhi’s IGI airport issued an at 4:25 am asking passengers to connect with the airlines concerned to be updated about the status of flights in view of possible impact on operations due to dense fog.

In another advisory at 5:52 am, Delhi airport said there was an impact on flight departures, however, flights which are CAT III compliant were able to depart and land.

“Due to dense fog, there has been impact on flight departures, however, flights which are CAT III compliant are able to land and depart from Delhi Airport. Passengers are requested to contact airline concerned for updated flight information,” the advisory read.

IndiGo also, in a post on X at 5.04 am, asked passengers to stay updated on flight status before heading to the airport.

Delhi and other NCR cities Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram saw blinding fog on between January 2 and January 3 as well, during which the visibility was reduced to zero in certain parts of the for an unprecedented nine-hour stretch, the longest spell of the season according to the weather department.

On Thursday, Delhi witnessed a sunny afternoon on Thursday after several breezy cold days as the maximum temperature settled at 21.2 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches warmer than the season’s normal. However, it was a colder morning on Thursday as the minimum temperature was recorded 4.8 degree Celsius, as compared to 7.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

Light fog had enveloped the city in the morning.

GRAP 3 returns amid deteriorating air quality

The Centre’s panel on Delhi-NCR’s air quality reimposed stage 3 anti-pollution curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) amid a sharp rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Delhi’s air pollution levels showed an increasing trend with the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) clocking 357 at 4 pm, up from 297 on Wednesday, owing to “calm winds and foggy conditions.”

The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategising air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation.

CAQM categorises an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

GRAP Stage 3, revoked on Sunday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work.

Additionally, the annual report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has highlighted that Delhi recorded a 12 per cent reduction compared to its 2017 baseline. The PM10 levels fell from 241 to 211 µg/m³, data showed, but the city still did not meet the initial target.

The report also stated that only 41, or 31 per cent, of the 131 non-attainment cities identified in 2019 as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) were able to meet their initial deadline of achieving a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 levels by 2024.