Train services were severely affected by the fog, as many trains were canceled and several were delayed. The Purushottam Express experienced the longest delay of 311 minutes.
New Delhi: The national capital woke up to dense fog on Monday as the cold wave intensifies across Northern India. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert across the Delhi NCR region as dense fog continues to persist under severe cold. Meanwhile, the air quality monitoring stations have reported concerning pollution levels across Delhi.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi recorded an AQI of 285, which comes under the ‘poor’ category. While several places, including Jahangirpuri, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Delhi University North Campus, Narela, and Mandir Marg, reported alarming pollution levels, with recorded AQI of 346, 345, 344, 314, 313, and 308, respectively. While Mundka reported an AQI of 297, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 293, Lodhi Road at 233, and NSIT Dwarka measured an AQI of 125.
For context, an AQI between 0 and 500 is categorized as good, 51 to 100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor, and 401-500 in the severe category.
#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of fog envelops the national capital as cold wave continues.
(Drone visuals from Signature Bridge, shot at 7:45 am) pic.twitter.com/MbfbnN7uZI
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2025
Trains delayed
Persisting foggy conditions have severely affected train services as several trains were delayed and many have been cancelled. The Purushottam Express experienced the longest delay of 311 minutes. The Poorva Express was delayed by 198 minutes. Followed by the Shramjeevi Express and JBP NZM SF Express, which reported delays of 197 minutes and 187 minutes, respectively.
The list of other affected trains includes the Rajendra Nagar Patna Tejas Express, which was delayed by 124 minutes; the YPR Dee Duronto Express (154 minutes); and the Suhaildev Express (105 minutes). The NDLS Humsafar was delayed by 107 minutes, and the Kaifiyat Express was delayed by 68 minutes, respectively. In addition to that, the Gondwana Express, YPR Sampark Kranti Express, and MP Sampark Kranti Express reported delays of 92 minutes, 91 minutes, and 65 minutes, respectively.
Preventive measures taken by authorities
Following an improvement in Delhi’s air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Sunday revoked Stage-III measures under the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). However, actions under Stage I and Stage II remain in effect until further notice. This comes after Delhi NCR received rainfall on Saturday evening when the Sub-Committee on GRAP reviewed the current air quality index (AQI) levels and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
(with inputs from agencies)
