Dense fog, severe air pollution disrupt life across Delhi-NCR

Dense fog enveloped several parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh on Wednesday morning, significantly reducing visibility and disrupting normal movement across key areas.

Visuals from Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram, Noida’s Botanical Garden Metro Station, and Delhi’s Akshardham area showed thick layers of fog blanketing roads and residential localities. Vehicles were seen moving at a slow pace as visibility dropped sharply. Similar conditions prevailed across several parts of Noida, affecting early-morning commuters.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384 at 7 am, placing it in the ‘very poor to severe’ category.

Several air quality monitoring stations across the capital recorded alarming levels. Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 452, ITO 426, RK Puram 411, Chandni Chowk 419, and Dwarka Sector 8 414 — all in the ‘severe’ category. Other areas such as IGI Airport (Terminal 3) at 334, Najafgarh at 331, and Aya Nagar at 321 remained in the ‘very poor’ range.

Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport were conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog, resulting in delays and cancellations, airport authorities said.

In an advisory, Delhi Airport said ground teams were deployed on-site to assist passengers amid low-visibility conditions. Travellers were advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.

“Due to prevailing dense fog conditions, flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III protocols, which may lead to delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are actively assisting passengers to ensure smoother movement. We regret the inconvenience caused,” the advisory stated.

Rail services were also impacted, with several trains running behind schedule due to poor visibility. Passengers were seen waiting at railway stations across the national capital as train movement remained slow amid foggy conditions.

With ANI inputs