Delhi: Smog causes travel chaos in Indian capital
2025-01-10
Category: news

Dense fog and severe air quality levels have caused travel chaos in India's capital Delhi. Visibility in several areas was reported to be zero in the early hours of Friday, disrupting flights, trains and road transport.More than 150 flights have been delayed and dozens of trains are running behind schedule due to bad weather conditions, reports say. This is a recurring problem in northern India every winter, where low temperatures between December and January trap pollutants close to the ground - which affects visibility - making travel difficult and the air hazardous.
The air quality index in Delhi was above 400 in several areas, according to the state-run Safar website. This is more than 25 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Authorities in the capital have brought back pollution control measures, which include a ban on construction and demolition activities, and school classes going online. 
Video and photos from Delhi and nearby cities showed a blanket of fog covering roads and farms and obscuring buildings. The Delhi airport has issued an advisory warning passengers of possible disruptions due to low visibility. "While landings and take offs continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected," the advisory read. CAT III is a system which allows planes to land during conditions of poor visibility.According to flight tracking website flightradar24, departures at Delhi airport were delayed by more than 30 minutes and arrivals by almost 20 minutes. Several passengers took to social media to complain of chaos at the airport."No display of boarding gate and it seems no one knows the exact status," a user wrote on X (formerly twitter). Meanwhile 26 trains to the city are running late due to fog, the Indian Railways said.India's weather department has predicted light showers over the weekend, which are expected to improve visibility conditions. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.