Fog in Delhi causes severe disruption in flight, train, and road traffic

Fog in Delhi got worse Tuesday morning. Several flights were delayed and some others cancelled at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport owing to poor visibility. The thick cover of smog continues to envelop the national capital region for the third day in row.

On Sunday, the fog condition influenced the flights between Chennai and Delhi. Due to the inability of the flights to depart from Delhi, flight schedules to other cities from Chennai were also altered. By Monday evening, about 300 flights were either delayed or cancelled at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, due to extremely low runway visual range (RVR).


Reportedly, 20 flights were rescheduled and 6 cancelled at the IGI airport on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, 7 flight arrivals from Delhi and more than 5 departures to Delhi were deferred by 4 hours or more due to traffic congestion at the Delhi airport.
Heavy smog hampered commuters’ journey back to work on time after New Year vacations.


Likewise, several trains were delayed or cancelled due to poor visibility on tracks on Monday and Tuesday morning. According to news reports in Delhi, 64 trains were postponed, 24 redone, and 21 cancelled.
The status of air quality in Delhi on Tuesday has been recorded PM 10 (gm-3) level, which falls under “very poor” class. The main culprit is the fog that is preventing the particulate matter from dispersing. Therefore, poor weather conditions are likely to bother the capital and its inhabitants for a couple of days or so.