Visuals from the Akshardham area on Thursday showed Delhi’s air quality firmly in the poor category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering around 450. Large parts of the national capital continued to reel under toxic air conditions, compounding weather-related disruptions.
Dense Fog Engulfs North India
A thick blanket of fog settled over large swathes of northern India on Thursday morning, severely affecting daily life. Road traffic slowed to a crawl in several areas as visibility dropped to near-zero levels. Train services and flight operations were also impacted across the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red Alert for Uttar Pradesh, while warnings were extended to 15 other states due to persistent fog conditions.
IMD Fog Alerts Across States
According to the IMD, “dense to very dense fog” is likely to prevail in the following regions:
Red Alert Zone: Entire Uttar Pradesh
Northern and Eastern Belt: Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar
Northeast: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur
An Orange Alert has been issued for Punjab and Haryana, where visibility is expected to fall below 50 metres.
The intensity of the fog was felt a day earlier as well, with a cricket match in Lucknow abandoned on Wednesday due to extremely low visibility.
Delhi’s Double Challenge: Smog And Severe Pollution
In Delhi, hazardous air quality added to the weather emergency. AQI levels in most parts of the city remained close to 400 (Severe), while visibility dropped below 100 metres during peak morning hours, leading to heavy traffic congestion.
To curb further deterioration, authorities enforced GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan) measures across the capital.
GRAP-4 Measures Enforced
Fuel Restrictions: Petrol and diesel are not being supplied to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
Traffic Impact: Reduced visibility caused significant delays and congestion on major arterial roads
Cold Wave And Rainfall Warnings Elsewhere
While northern India battles fog, other regions are witnessing extreme weather conditions:
Cold Wave Warning: Western Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand
Thunderstorms and Lightning: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Advisory For Commuters
Authorities have urged citizens to exercise caution during peak fog hours:
- Drive slowly and maintain adequate distance
- Use fog lights and avoid high-beam headlights
- Avoid non-essential travel, especially during early morning and late evening hours
- Check train and flight schedules in advance due to possible delays