Smog causes travel chaos in the Indian capital Delhi

Dense fog and severe air quality levels caused travel chaos in the Indian capital Delhi.

Visibility in many areas was reported to be zero in the early hours of Friday, disrupting flights, trains and road transport.

More than 150 flights were delayed and dozens of trains were delayed due to bad weather conditions, reports said.

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 dangerous.

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

The capital’s authorities have reported pollution control measures, which include a ban on construction and demolition activities, and online school classes.

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

Delhi Airport has issued an advisory to passengers of possible disruptions due to low visibility.

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

According to flight tracking website flightradar24, departures at Delhi airport were delayed by more than 30 minutes and arrivals by almost 20 minutes.

Many passengers took to social media to complain about the chaos at the airport.

“No boarding gate display and no one seems to know the exact status,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).

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

India’s meteorological department has predicted light showers over the weekend, which are expected to improve visibility conditions.

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