Delhi wakes up to thick layer of fog, advisory issued of possible flight disruptions

Delhi and several parts of the national capital region woke up to a thick blanket of fog, early Thursday morning (Dec 18), significantly reducing visibility. The poor visibility prompted the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to issue a fog advisory, warning passengers of possible disruptions to flight operations. Taking to X the Delhi airport wrote, "Due to dense fog, flight operations are currently under CAT III conditions, which may lead to delays or disruptions. We are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience to passengers."

"For the latest flight status, please contact your respective airlines. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused," post added on X.

While the Air Quality Index (AQI) at the base observatory in Delhi settled at 358 at 8 am on Thursday, considered ‘very poor’, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Some of the places in Delhi saw an AQI of over 400, for instance the air quality at Anand Vihar was recorded at 418, Vivek Vihar at 412, Wazirpur at 403, Jahangirpuri at 403 and Mundka at 400.

GRAP IV implemented

Meanwhile, authorities on Saturday (Dec 13) enforced all measures under stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect across the Delhi-NCR.

The action was taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CQAM) following a steep decline in the national capital's air quality on Saturday.

Additionally all vehicles which are not BS-VI compliant have been banned entry into Delhi. Several measure are being tken by the traffic police to keep them at bay.

What are the AQI categories?

0-50: Good

51-100: Satisfactory

101-200: Moderate

201-300: Poor

301-400: Very Poor

401-500: Severe

Major contributor: Transport pollution

Transport remains the largest contributor to Delhi’s pollution, responsible for 18.4% of emissions on Tuesday. It was followed by emissions from nearby industries (9.2%) and neighbouring cities, including Noida (8.2%), Ghaziabad (4.6%), Baghpat (6.2%), Panipat (3.3%), and Gurugram (2.9%). It is expected that transport emissions will account for 15.6% of the city’s pollution on Wednesday.