Fog Alert in Delhi Today, Air Quality Expected to Slip Into Severe Zone

New Delhi: On Friday, dense fog and poisonous air covered Delhi. The situation became so bad that the pace of the city came to a halt. More than 700 flights were affected at Indira Gandhi International Airport, and at least 177 flights had to be cancelled. Weather agencies have clearly indicated that the situation may worsen over the weekend.

What warning has been issued regarding fog and wind?

The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for fog for Saturday. The Air Quality Early Warning System estimates that Delhi's AQI may cross 400 and reach the 'severe' category. Till Friday evening the index remained at 374, meaning no concrete signs of relief were seen.

How much did visibility fall, and why were flights cancelled?

The situation remained very bad in the early hours of Friday. Visibility was zero in Safdarjung, while it was reduced to 50 meters in Palam. For this reason IMD had to issue a red alert. As a result, 177 flights, including international flights, had to be cancelled, with 88 departures and 89 arrivals.

How bad is the air quality?

Delhi's 24-hour average AQI was 374, which falls in the 'very poor' category. In the morning it increased to 382. The air was 'severe' at 11 out of 40 monitoring stations. AQI was recorded at 434 in Vivek Vihar and 430 in Anand Vihar.

Why not get relief continuously?

This was the ninth consecutive day when the air quality remained very bad or severe. Despite strict vehicle checking and the challan campaign, no improvement was seen. The Supreme Court has also recently said that immediate steps have failed to stop pollution.

How will the situation worsen due to falling temperature?

The minimum temperature was 9 degrees, and it is likely to fall to 7-9 degrees. With increasing cold, the ‘inversion effect’ intensifies, due to which pollutants get trapped in the lower layers and the air becomes more poisonous.

How much of a role do vehicles and weather play?

The contribution of vehicles to pollution on Friday was about 15.7 percent, which may increase in the coming days. On top of that, there has been no rain in December so far, due to which the pollutants are not being washed away. This is the reason why this December is being considered the worst in the last eight years.