NEW DELHI: Thick fog blanketed large parts of the national capital and adjoining National Capital Region (NCR on Wednesday morning, sharply reducing visibility and disrupting normal movement across key routes.
Visuals from Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram, Noida’s Botanical Garden Metro Station, and Delhi’s Akshardham area showed roads and residential localities engulfed in dense fog, forcing vehicles to move at a crawl as visibility dropped significantly. Similar conditions prevailed in several parts of Noida, affecting early-morning commuters.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384 at 7am, placing it in the ‘very poor to severe’ category.
Several monitoring stations reported alarming pollution levels. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 452, ITO 426, RK Puram 411, Chandni Chowk 419, and Dwarka Sector 8 414 — all classified as ‘severe’.
Other areas registered slightly lower yet hazardous readings. AQI at IGI Airport (Terminal 3) was 334, while Najafgarh recorded 331 and Aya Nagar 321, all falling in the ‘very poor’ category.
Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport are being conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog, airport authorities said, resulting in delays and cancellations.
In an advisory, Delhi Airport said ground teams are deployed on-site and actively assisting passengers amid low-visibility conditions. Travelers have been advised to stay in contact with their respective airlines for the latest updates.
“Due to prevailing dense fog conditions, flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III protocols, which may result in delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience. We regret the inconvenience caused,” the advisory said.
Rail services were also impacted, with several trains running behind schedule due to poor visibility. Passengers were seen waiting at railway stations across the capital as train movement slowed under foggy conditions.
