Delhi gripped by persistent fog, disrupted transport and visibility

New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) Moderate to dense fog continues to blanket various parts of North India, including Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts no relief till January 4, 2024.

As of 9 a.m., visibility at Palam stood at 900 meters, while Safdarjung recorded 500 meters. Earlier, at 8 a.m., Palam reported the lowest visibility at 700 meters.

There are signs of improvement in visibility conditions, suggesting a gradual easing of the dense fog.

The IMD classifies fog intensity into four types: shallow, moderate, dense and very dense fog. The visibility ranges from 999 m to 500 m, 499 m to 200 m, 199 m to 50 m and less than 50 m, respectively.

The dense fog has led to increased caution in railway operations, affecting the departure and arrival times of trains. Flight schedules are also being affected, with many flights experiencing delays and some possibly facing cancellations.

As of 8 a.m., around 50 flights have been delayed due to the dense fog. This includes disruptions in international and domestic departures and arrivals. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi reported visibility at 800 meters.

In a fog-induced challenge for commuters, several trains arriving in the Delhi region are dealing with delays, causing frustration among passengers. 23 trains are behind their scheduled arrival time, and the extent of delay varies across multiple routes.

Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express and Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express are delayed by 7 hours, and 5 hours, respectively. Passengers about to board Chennai-New Delhi Grand Trunk Express are also urged to check updated schedules due to delay by 6 hours. Among 23 trains delayed, the Bhopal-Nizamuddin Express is also running behind schedule by 6 hours.

Today’s minimum temperature in Delhi is recorded at 13 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature is expected to go as high as 22 degrees Celsius. Throughout the day, the temperature is likely to hover around 13 degrees celsius.

Meanwhile, the Air quality continued to remain in 'severe' category at several stations across the city.

The AQI scale categorises levels from 0 to 500, with Anand Vihar breaching the 'severe' threshold.

At the Anand Vihar area, PM2.5 levels remained into the 'severe' category standing at 423 and PM10 reached 368, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The Air Quality Index (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'.

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport T3 witnessed PM2.5 levels at 382 and PM10 at 306, both falling under the 'very poor' category. The CO level was recorded at 80, maintaining a 'satisfactory' rating.

Commuters are urged to exercise caution during the morning hours due to reduced visibility caused by the lingering fog, and are urged to stay updated on real-time schedules and plan their journeys accordingly.