As thick fog reduced visibility to near zero, life came to a standstill across several parts of Delhi-NCR. It also led to flight delays and school closures in Noida. Things became worse as the air quality further worsened, with the overall recorded AQI reaching 403 as of 7 am.
The Indian Meteorological Department warned against the fog, as it also issued an orange alert in the region. The average temperatures remained between 22 degrees maximum to 7 degrees minimum. Other than the Delhi NCR region, several parts of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were also under orange alert. Due to the uncertain weather conditions, 128 flights, including 64 arrivals and 64 departures, were cancelled from the Delhi Airport, and over eight flights were diverted to different airports.
The Delhi airport issued an early morning advisory for passengers to track the real-time flight status for convenience. This impacts several trains too, as over 100 of them were delayed.
In Noida, the fog has not left since Sunday evening, and a thick layer of mist has spread across the district, hampering the daily life of the people. Many complained of negligible visibility on major roads. As a precaution, the district administration has closed schools from 29 December to 1st January. Visibility on the major expressways of the district, including the Yamuna Expressway and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, has dropped to almost negligible levels.
As the fog becomes dense, the AQI has plunged further into a severe category, after a slight relief last week. Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 403, while at Anand Vihar, the worst reading of 459 was recorded. The fog on the roads of Delhi NCR has gone viral on the internet, with people sharing memes and videos over it. However, as the condition worsens, people are advised to stay indoors and exercise caution.
