Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
The sight of thick fog blanketing North India has returned, and along with it, an unsettling rise in air pollution. For the second day in a row, Delhi’s morning opened under a hazy veil, bringing with it dangerous levels of air pollution. At 9 a.m. on Thursday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered a worrisome 428—deep in the ‘severe’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Delhi isn’t the only city struggling. Across the North, many cities are breathing the same noxious mix. In Agra, Taj Mahal was also shrouded in fog. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded an AQI of 325 while Chandigarh recorded its first ‘severe’ AQI level of the season. The air quality index (AQI) in Chandigarh was 427 at 12 noon. In a post on X, Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tewari urged UT Administrator and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to consider shutting down all schools, especially for small children till the situation mitigates.
Meanwhile, the iconic Delhi-Agra National Highway was shrouded in fog, with commuters struggling against the double threat of low visibility and poor air. In Mathura, where vehicles moved cautiously through the haze, the ghostly glow of headlights in the mist served as a grim reminder of winter pollution's peak.
In Haryana, the AQI was 323 in Gurugram. As the fog deepens and the AQI inches higher, North India’s residents face another season of compromise—between the beauty of a misty winter and the stark reality of toxic air.
Low visibility procedures were put in place at the Delhi airport for flight operations on Thursday morning due to bad weather conditions. On Wednesday, at least 10 flights were diverted and scores of flights were delayed due to low visibility conditions. According to Flightradar24, close to 400 flights, 257 departures and 139 arrivals, at Delhi Airport experienced delays due to the low visibility.
