New Delhi woke up to shallow fog and stubborn pollution on Wednesday, with low visibility forcing the cancellation of 10 flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, news agency ANI mentioned airport authorities as saying.
Parts of the national capital witnessed reduced visibility during the early morning hours as shallow fog and mist settled over the city, official observations showed.
According to a UNI report, Safdarjung recorded the lowest visibility at 900 metres in shallow fog at 6.30 am, while Palam reported visibility of 1,100 metres in mist at 7.00 am. Westerly winds blowing at a speed of 7–10 kmph helped prevent a sharper drop in visibility levels.
In the meantime, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has urged motorists to exercise caution during early morning travel.
Delhi AQI remains in ‘very poor’ category
Air quality in the capital continued to stay in the ‘Very Poor’ range. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 329 at 6.05 am, based on data from 39 of the 40 monitoring stations across the city.
Several locations reported alarmingly high pollution levels. Mundka recorded an AQI of 371, NSIT Dwarka 361, Nehru Nagar 360, Okhla Phase-2 339, Punjabi Bagh 340 and Narela 340, all in the very poor category.
Other areas were not far behind. North Campus, Delhi University, recorded an AQI of 319, Najafgarh stood at 305, Anand Vihar reported 341, Ashok Vihar 351 and Delhi Technological University (DTU) 358.
Health advisory amid prolonged pollution spell
Health advisories have warned that prolonged exposure to such air quality levels can lead to respiratory discomfort, especially among children, senior citizens and people with pre-existing health conditions.
As per the AQI records in December, the pollution level has continued to be high over the last few days. The AQI touched 461 on December 14 and 427 on December 15, signalling poor to very poor air quality across Delhi.
When does fog become dangerous?
The IMD classifies fog as per visibility levels. Visibility between 500 and 1,000 metres is categorised as shallow fog, 200–500 metres as moderate fog, and anything below 200 metres as dense fog.
A gradual improvement in weather conditions is expected as the day progresses. Fog and pollutants may disperse later in the day as temperatures rise and sunlight increases, officials said.