New Delhi, Dec 26 (Agency) Flights in and out of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport faced delays on Tuesday morning as a thick blanket of fog enveloped the Delhi-NCR region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a significant drop in temperature, reaching nearly 7 degrees Celsius in the national capital. At Delhi airport, around 30 flights, including international ones, experienced delays in both arrivals and departures. The Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System data on Tuesday morning indicated disruptions, with sources suggesting that more flights could be affected throughout the day. A passenger advisory issued by the Delhi airport highlighted the potential impact on non-CAT III compliant flights, stating, “While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.” The arrival of 14 trains in northern India was also delayed due to the foggy conditions. CAT-III (Category III) Instrument Landing System (ILS) is an anti-fog landing system initiated by the Delhi airport to facilitate landings during low runway visibility.
Morning scenes from iconic locations such as India Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, AIIMS, Safdarjung, and Anand Vihar depicted a city shrouded in dense fog, drastically reducing visibility and prompting residents to seek refuge in night shelters as the cold wave intensified overnight.The IMD’s satellite images revealed the extent of the fog’s reach, spanning across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad and Kanpur, visibility plummeted to almost zero, causing disruptions to daily life. In response to the prevailing conditions, people were observed gathering around bonfires along roads and lanes to combat the bone-chilling cold. The IMD also issued a warning about potential health impacts due to the dense fog in the national capital. “Dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants, and in case exposed, it gets lodged in the lungs, clogging them and decreasing their functional capacity, which increases episodes of wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath,” the release stated.