Fog grips city for third day in a row, brings daily life to a halt
For the third consecutive day, a thick blanket of fog enveloped the city, bringing the daily life to a near-standstill. The lack of adequate infrastructure to navigate through the dense fog has left residents frustrated and helpless as they are forced to spend hours more than usual to reach their destinations.
The rural areas of the district also reported frost, due to which vegetable crops, especially peas and potato, are at risk. Farmers were seen irrigating their fields to mitigate the impact of the frost on the crop.
The day began with a brief respite as the sky was clear until 6.30 am. However, the fog soon started to build momentum, covering the entire sky by 7.30 am. As a result, the residents were deprived of sunlight for most of the day, except for a brief period in the afternoon.
The fog’s impact on air travel was significant, with at least two flights cancelled and six others delayed. Passengers were left stranded, struggling to make alternative arrangements. The fog also caused disruptions in rail traffic, with several trains delayed. The delayed trains included the Vande Bharat Express, Sachkhand Superfast Express, Indore Amritsar Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Amarapali Express and Shane Punjab, with delays ranging from 30 minutes to four hours and 15 minutes.
The infrastructure in city, or lack thereof, has been exposed by the fog. Many link roads connecting the city to rural areas lack even basic white markings to help drivers navigate through the fog.
As a result, commuters were left to fend for themselves, relying on their own wits to navigate the
treacherous roads.
“We need better fog lights, more efficient traffic management and improved public transportation,” said Jaswinder, a local.
Another resident, Kewal Ram said, “It’s not just about convenience, it’s about safety. The city’s infrastructure is woefully inadequate to handle foggy conditions, and it’s putting people’s lives at risk.”
As the city struggles to cope with the fog, the residents are left to wonder when things would return to normal. With no end to the fog in sight, the commuters are bracing themselves for another day of disruptions and delays.