Smog causes travel chaos in India’s capital

Dense fog and poor air quality have caused travel chaos in India’s capital Delhi.

Several areas reported zero visibility 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 late due to bad weather conditions, reports said.

This a repetitive The problem in northern India is winter, where low temperatures between December and January trap pollutants close to the ground – which affects visibility – making travel difficult and the air dangerous.

Delhi’s air quality index was above 400 in several areas, according to the state Safar website It is more than 25 times the safe limit established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The capital’s authorities have reinstated pollution control measures, including banning construction and demolition activities and bringing schools online.

Videos and photos from Delhi and surrounding cities showed a blanket of fog covering roads and farms and obscuring buildings.

Delhi Airport has warned passengers about possible disruptions due to low visibility.

“While landings and take-offs at Delhi airport continue, non-CAT III compliant flights may be affected,” he said. counseling read CAT III is a system that allows aircraft to land in poor visibility conditions.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, departures from Delhi airport were delayed by more than 30 minutes and arrivals by almost 20 minutes.

Several passengers took to social media to report the chaos at the airport.

“There is no boarding gate showing and no one seems to know the exact situation,” wrote one user on X (formerly twitter).

Meanwhile, 26 city-bound trains are running late due to fog, Indian Railways said.

The Indian weather department has forecast light showers for the weekend, which are expected to improve visibility conditions.

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