Delhi Choked Under Thick Blanket of Smog Leading to Cancellation of 60 Flights
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 monitoring stations across the city recorded “severe” air quality, while 12 stations reported “very poor” levels
New Delhi: With a sharp drop in visibility and haze-obscured skyline on Monday paired with the Air Quality Index touching 498 in the morning, and settling at 427 by the evening, in the hazardous “severe” zone, the national capital Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog leading to cancellation of over 60 flights and five diverted at Delhi airport due to poor visibility conditions. Delhi airport operator DIAL said in a post on X shortly after 10 am that flight operations are still impacted due to dense fog. In view of the prevailing high AQI in the city, the Delhi government also directed schools to shift from hybrid to online mode for students up to Class 5.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 monitoring stations across the city recorded “severe” air quality, while 12 stations reported “very poor” levels. The air quality monitoring station at Wazirpur recorded the maximum possible AQI value of 500 during the day, beyond which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) does not register data.
The data from the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi indicated that PM2.5 concentration stood at 154.96 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 levels were recorded at 260.9 micrograms per cubic metre. As per the Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi, transport emerged as the major contributor to pollution at 3.079 per cent, followed by construction activities at 1.732 per cent and stubble burning at 0.218 per cent.
“Our on-ground officials are working closely with all stakeholders to assist passengers and provide necessary support across terminals,” airport operator DIAL said. An official said as of now, 61 cancellations and five diversions have been reported at the airport. Over 250 flights were delayed, he added.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu also chaired a review meeting on preparedness for the fog window of the winter schedule.
IndiGo said in a statement: “Low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, which is unfortunately beyond our control.” As operations are adjusted to prevailing weather conditions, some flights may experience delays, while a few others may be proactively cancelled during the day to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport, the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo, however, did not say how many of its flights were cancelled and how many were delayed. The airline said its teams are “closely monitoring” the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport.
In a related development, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav chaired a high-level review of the action plans of Ghaziabad and Noida to curb air pollution, directing strict action against industrial units that fail to install online emission monitoring systems by the December 31 deadline.
This was the first review under a planned series of city-specific assessments in the National Capital Region, which will culminate in a state-level review in the coming days, the ministry said in a statement.
The review focused on key areas such as traffic management to reduce vehicular emissions, compliance of industrial units with pollution norms, expansion of electric vehicle fleets and charging infrastructure, strengthening public transport and parking facilities and improving the management of construction and demolition waste and municipal solid waste.
