New Delhi
oi-Madhuri Adnal
With
no
respite
from
worsening
air
pollution,
the
national
capital
woke
up
to
another
morning
of
dense
fog,
poor
visibility
and
deteriorating
air
quality
on
Friday.
The
city’s
overall
Air
Quality
Index
(AQI)
stood
at
387,
placing
it
in
the
‘very
poor’
category,
while
several
areas
recorded
readings
above
400,
slipping
into
the
‘severe’
zone.
Data
from
the
Central
Pollution
Control
Board
(CPCB)
showed
that
pollution
levels
remained
alarmingly
high
across
large
parts
of
the
city
in
the
early
hours.
Residents
reported
a
strong
smell
of
smog,
irritation
in
the
eyes
and
throat,
and
difficulty
breathing,
particularly
during
morning
hours.
Delhi
experienced
dense
fog
and
deteriorating
air
quality
on
Friday,
with
an
Air
Quality
Index
of
387,
leading
to
poor
visibility
and
impacting
flight
operations
at
Indira
Gandhi
International
Airport;
several
airlines
like
Air
India,
IndiGo
and
SpiceJet
issued
advisories
and
the
airport
confirmed
CAT
III
conditions
due
to
low
visibility.
Visibility
drops
across
the
capital
Delhi
witnessed
thick
fog
early
on
Friday,
sharply
reducing
visibility
across
major
roads
and
residential
areas.
Visuals
from
different
parts
of
the
city
showed
vehicles
moving
slowly
with
headlights
on
as
commuters
struggled
through
near-zero
visibility
in
some
locations.
Similar
conditions
were
seen
at
the
Indira
Gandhi
International
Airport,
where
dense
fog
covered
the
runways
and
terminals.
Passengers
were
seen
navigating
through
the
fog
as
flight
operations
were
impacted
due
to
low
visibility.
Airlines
issue
advisories,
flights
disrupted
Several
airlines,
including
Air
India,
IndiGo
and
SpiceJet,
issued
advisories
warning
passengers
of
possible
delays
and
disruptions
due
to
foggy
conditions
in
Delhi.
IndiGo,
citing
warnings
from
the
weather
department,
urged
travellers
to
check
their
flight
status
before
leaving
for
the
airport
and
to
allow
extra
travel
time,
as
low
visibility
could
also
slow
road
traffic.
SpiceJet
released
a
similar
advisory,
asking
passengers
to
remain
updated
on
flight
schedules
amid
the
prevailing
weather
conditions.
Air
India
informed
travellers
about
its
‘FogCare’
initiative,
which
provides
advance
alerts
on
registered
mobile
numbers
and
allows
passengers
to
reschedule
flights
without
additional
charges
during
severe
fog.
The
Delhi
airport
later
confirmed
that
flight
operations
were
affected,
with
services
being
conducted
under
CAT
III
conditions
due
to
low
visibility.
Officials
said
teams
were
in
place
to
assist
passengers
and
manage
disruptions.
The
update
came
a
day
after
at
least
27
flights
were
cancelled
in
Delhi
because
of
thick
fog
and
reduced
visibility.
As
pollution
levels
remain
dangerously
high
and
weather
conditions
continue
to
worsen,
authorities
have
urged
residents,
especially
children,
the
elderly
and
those
with
respiratory
conditions,
to
limit
outdoor
exposure.
With
no
immediate
improvement
in
sight,
Delhi
continues
to
grapple
with
a
combination
of
toxic
air
and
winter
fog,
further
disrupting
daily
life
and
travel.
