Delhi Air Quality Crisis Worsens, Dense Fog Disrupts Flights Across North India
Delhi reels under a severe air quality crisis as AQI hits ‘Severe Plus’ and dense fog disrupts flights across the national capital and North India.
Dense smog and fog blanket Delhi as air quality turns hazardous and flight operations face disruptions.
Delhi, the capital of India, has been facing a major problem regarding air quality and pollution levels reached the highest point on Monday. Nighttime Air Quality Index (AQI) reading in Delhi was 456, which is a very strong indicator for the most dangerous situation. In the meantime Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 500 which is the highest level of the scale and has put the area in a very unhealthy condition.
Winter winds carried the already existing pollution with them and along with the fog that enveloped Delhi and other parts of Northern India, the visibility was incredibly bad as the fog was indeed very thick. The situation became so severe that it caused the cancellation of flights and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had to issue a travel advisory on December 15 due to the unfavorable weather conditions.
In a message on the social media site X, the AAI cautioned travelers about possible disruptions. "Heavy Fog Alert for Northern India... Delhi is experiencing very thick fog all through and more so at some of the airports in the Northern part of India, which has resulted in the visibility being limited and the flights being disrupted at times."After reviewing the advisory, we note that the airlines are supposed to inform the travelers about the latest flight status before they leave for the airport. Moreover, the airport authority advised the travelers to depend on the official airport sites and mobile apps for real-time information and to take their trips ahead of time by factoring in extra time for travel."
The Ministry of Civil Aviation also shared the same worries, highlighting the issue of passenger safety through the weather conditions that were difficult. “Delhi (DEL) and other airports in Northern India are experiencing very thick fog which has severely reduced visibility.”. The ministry advised checking with the respective airline for the latest flight status before going to the airport. Also, it asked the passengers to include extra travel time as it was the main concern. The ministry added that the airport teams and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are working round the clock to reduce the impact of the disruptions.
The already bad air quality has made things even worse. Health professionals advise the most susceptible groups like kids, the elderly, and patients with lung diseases to curtail their outdoor activities. The air remains polluted, and fog is still present. The officials have alerted to take precautions because they believe this state of affairs will last for several days. They are giving out tips and information, and they hope the public will follow the instructions.
