Thick Smog Blankets Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: A dense layer of smog enveloped Delhi and surrounding regions of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad on Wednesday morning, leading to flight diversions.

Due to adverse weather conditions, 10 flights were diverted, including six to Jaipur and one to Lucknow, since 7 am. Zero-metre visibility was recorded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 8.30 am with the Runway Visual Range varying between 125 and 500 metres at different locations, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Delhi International Airport Limited said in a post on social media platform X.\, "While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected," the authority said. CAT III is a navigation system that enables aircraft to land even when visibility is low.

Delhi's air quality index was in the 'Severe' category breaching the 400 mark, while that of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad was in the 'Poor' category. Faridabad's AQI, at 188, was



'Moderate'.

Visibility was poor as the AQI entered the 'Severe' category after remaining in the 'Very Poor' category for two weeks in Delhi. Two monitoring stations, including Anand Vihar and Aya Nagar, reported the air quality in the "severe" category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

"Very dense" fog began forming at around 5.30 am, while the weather department has forecast shallow fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to settle at 32 degrees Celsius.

The second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital, which entails mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads, and implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

Air quality remained a concern all over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, with three Bihar cities, two Haryana cities and Chandigarh featuring among the top 10 polluted places in the country on Wednesday.