NEW DELHI: Dense fog blanketed large parts of the national capital on Saturday morning as cold wave conditions continued, disrupting visibility and causing delays in several flights at Indira Gandhi International (IG) Airport.
Passengers have been advised to check flight status with their respective airlines before leaving for the airport, as fluctuating fog conditions may continue to affect operations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a slight improvement in minimum temperatures, with the mercury settling at 7°C on Saturday morning, compared to 4°C recorded on Friday. However, poor visibility during early hours continued to impact road, rail and air traffic across the city.
Air quality remained a serious concern. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 368 around 7am on Saturday, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.
On Friday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR) as a preventive measure. CAQM warned that unfavourable weather conditions, including low wind speed, a stable atmosphere and limited dispersal of pollutants, could push Delhi’s average AQI beyond 400 into the ‘severe’ category in the coming days. The average AQI at 4pm on Friday was 354, up from 343 on Thursday. Measures under Stages I and II of GRAP will also remain in force.
Although the five-day cold wave ended on Friday, temperatures remained below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 4.3°C, three degrees below the seasonal average, while Thursday recorded 2.9°C — the lowest January temperature in three years. The maximum temperature on Friday rose to 22.5°C, compared to 19.5°C on Thursday.
IMD reported dense fog conditions, with visibility dropping to 150 metres at Palam at 7.30am and at Safdarjung at 8am. Flight operations at IGI Airport experienced minor delays. The weather department has forecast maximum and minimum temperatures of 21–23°C and 6–8°C for Saturday and issued a yellow alert for dense fog in isolated areas.
CAQM has also announced a nine-point action plan under Stage III of GRAP, which includes:
- Restrictions on construction and demolition activities
- Curbs on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar (with exemptions for persons with disabilities)
- Restrictions on Delhi-registered diesel medium goods vehicles of BS-IV and below, except those carrying essential commodities
- Ban on the entry of BS-IV diesel light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi
