Delhi air quality 'very poor'; travel disruptions continue amid cold wave

On Wednesday, Delhi's air quality was reported as "very poor" in several regions, while areas including Wazipur and Anand Vihar experienced "severe" pollution levels, offering little respite to the city's residents. Delhi woke to another freezing day, with the minimum temperature dropping to 4 degrees Celsius. The adverse weather conditions led to train and flight delays and delays in several flights departing from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Anand Vihar was 406 and Wazirpur 421, as of 8:30 am. ITO (391), Nehru Nagar (378), Patparganj (383), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (361), RK Puram (380), and Shadipur (358) registered as "very poor", according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage 3 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) on Sunday, signalling severe pollution levels surpassing the 400 mark. It had earlier been removed when levels had gone down during the first week of the new year.

Dense fog delays trains at New Delhi Railway Station

Passengers at the New Delhi Railway Station faced delays in train schedules due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. According to the Meteorological Department, fog is considered "shallow" up to 500 metres of visibility, "moderate" up to 200 metres, "dense" up to 50 metres, and "very dense" below 50 metres.

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Despite these challenges, the Republic Day parade rehearsal took place at Kartavya Path amid the weather conditions.

Earlier in the week, several regions, including Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, Patiala, Ambala, Chandigarh, Palam, Safdarjung (New Delhi), Bareilly, Lucknow, Bahraich, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Tezpur, experienced zero visibility, marking the first time this winter season.

Cold conditions to persist over the next two days

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Scientist Soma Sen told ANI that despite a slight rise due to sunny skies, persistent foggy conditions were expected. Sen also anticipates severe cold day conditions in Haryana and Punjab for the next two to three days. While a gradual decrease in cold intensity was predicted, foggy mornings, cold days, and cold wave conditions were expected to persist across the plains for at least the next two days.

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Government-run shelter homes are offering blankets, beds, hot water, and food to those without shelter.