Delhi pollution: Low visibility disrupts travel; Flights diverted, trains delayed due to thick smog 

The national capital and surrounding areas were engulfed in a thick layer of smog on Thursday, as air quality levels plunged into the 'severe' category. This deterioration in air quality has led to significant disruptions in both flight and train services.

On Thursday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in various parts of Delhi soared to alarming levels, reaching a peak of 432. This follows a similar spike on Wednesday when the AQI hit 429. The combination of air pollution and cold weather has resulted in poor visibility, affecting all modes of transportation.

Cities across North India, including Amritsar, Varanasi, and Jalandhar, are also grappling with adverse weather conditions.

IndiGo Airlines issued an early morning advisory, warning passengers of potential flight delays and cancellations due to winter fog affecting operations to and from Amritsar, Varanasi, and Delhi. The airline urged travellers to check their flight status and to allow for extra travel time as road traffic was expected to be slower than usual.

As a result of the low visibility, Delhi Airport reported that ten flights were diverted and numerous others were delayed on Wednesday morning. According to officials, nine flights were redirected to Jaipur and one to Lucknow due to the weather conditions.

Train services have also been impacted, with reports indicating that trains arriving at the New Delhi railway station are running at least one hour late. Notably, at least 12 trains, including the CSMT ASR Express, INDB NDLS EXP, and Malwa SF Express, experienced delays exceeding one hour on Thursday morning.

In response to the poor visibility, the Delhi airport has implemented low visibility procedures for flight operations, aiming to manage the disruptions caused by the severe weather conditions.

AQI across Delhi

According to SAFAR-India, Anand Vihar recorded a reading of 473, while Bawana was 455, Burari Crossing 455, Dwarka Sector 8 458, IGI Airport 435, ITO 421, Jahangirpuri 471, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 408, Lodhi Road 377, Mandir Marg 440, Mundka 460, NSIT Dwarka 425, Najafgarh 457, Narela 438, Nehru Nagar 460, North Campus DU 421, Okhla Phase 2 440, Patparganj 472, Punjabi Bagh 459, RK Puram 454, Rohini 453, Siri Fort 438, Vivek Vihar 468, and Wazirpur 467 among others.