Delhi NCR shivers amid ‘severe’ AQI, flights and trains disrupted due to dense fog

Ankita Jain,

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Delhi and adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed another harsh winter morning on Monday, December 29, as dense fog coupled with toxic smoke severely reduced visibility and pushed the air quality back into the ‘severe’ category.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for dense fog in Delhi for the next hour, warning commuters of hazardous travel conditions.

Visibility dropped sharply late Sunday (December 28) and remained extremely poor early Monday, making road travel slow and hazardous across large parts of the National Capital Region.

Visibility decreased in Delhi-NCR

Dense smog was reported from several places, including AIIMS flyover in Delhi and Sector 37 in Noida, where vehicles were seen moving cautiously with headlights barely visible through the smog.

The foggy conditions increased existing pollution levels, leading to health concerns for residents.

AQI becomes ‘severe’

Delhi’s air quality slipped into the ‘severe’ category on Monday, with the overall air quality index (AQI) recorded at 403, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

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At least 25 monitoring stations, including Vivek Vihar (460), Anand Vihar (459), Rohini (445) and Wazirpur (444), reported AQI levels above 400, indicating extremely hazardous air quality in wide parts of the capital.

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trains are running late

Rail services were also affected due to poor visibility. Several long distance trains, including Rajdhani Express, Vande Bharat and Jan Shatabdi, were delayed as fog disrupted rail operations in North India.

In some cases, trains have been reported to be delayed by more than eight hours, news agency ANI quoted passengers as saying.

flight operations affected

Air travel was severely affected due to low visibility at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. Airport officials said flight operations were being conducted only under CAT III conditions, which allows landing and take-off in very low visibility.

According to News18, runway visibility at Delhi Airport was reported to be between 100 to 150 meters in the morning.

Passengers were warned about possible delays and cancellations. Additional ground staff were deployed at terminals to assist passengers and manage overcrowding, officials said, advising travelers to check flight updates directly with airlines.

Several carriers issued advisories. IndiGo said Delhi and Hindon airports were engulfed by fog and cold winter wind, which led to schedule changes and slowed down operations.

Air India also warned of possible delays, diversions and cancellations due to dense fog across northern India.

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Meanwhile, an Air India Express flight from Goa’s Mopa airport was diverted to Ahmedabad after it was unable to land in Delhi due to fog and congestion at alternate airports.

India News