New Delhi: The people of Delhi woke up to a cold morning on Saturday with the minimum temperature recorded at 6.2 degrees Celsius. According to an Met official, the temperature recorded was just a notch below the season's average. Humidity was at 91 percent at 8.30 am, the India Meteorological Department said.
It has predicted mainly clear skies for the rest of the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 22 degrees Celsius, as reported by the news agency PTI. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 221 (poor).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
Several flights were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi on Friday due to low visibility amid fog, the airport authorities. informed. However, no flight diversions were reported till 7 am, they added.
"Flights were delayed due to bad weather amid fog in the national capital. Visibility is very low at the airport," a passenger at Delhi airport told ANI.
While the Northern Railway informed us that 16 trains were also running late due to fog. According to officials of Northern Railway, trains including Gaya-New Delhi Mahabodhi Express, Malda Town-Delhi Farakka Express, Banaras-New Delhi Kashi Vishwanath Express, Kamakhya-Delhi Brahmaputra Mail and Visakhapatnam-New Delhi Andhra Pradesh Express, "are running late by up to 1 hour."
Delhi witnessed shallow fog on Friday morning with Safdarjung and Palam recording a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, according to IMD.
Continuing its concerted efforts to curb air pollution arising out of emissions from highly polluting fossil fuels like coal, furnace oil, and alike, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas (CAQM) has advised Coal India (CIL) and state governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to ensure that coal is not supplied or allotted by coal firms of CIL to various suppliers or stockists or agents of ClL operating in the NCR.
The ministry of environment, forest and climate change said in a statement that the Commission has also advised the entities or units or industries including stockists, traders, and dealers of coal to ensure compliance and discontinue coal supply in NCR for any kind of usage or stocking or selling or trading in entire NCR except for thermal power plants (TPPs).