NEW DELHI: Fog and poor visibility disrupted transportation in Delhi on Friday, with 27 trains running behind schedule, according to Indian Railways.
Foggy conditions have hampered rail operations for several days, causing significant delays across various routes.
Major delays reported include the Farakka Express, delayed by 277 minutes, AP Express by 240 minutes, Karnataka Express by 91 minutes, Poorva Express by 65 minutes, and Vaishali Express by 73 minutes.
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Air travel was also impacted, with several flights delayed at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport due to the dense fog.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘poor’ category, with the AQI recorded at 294 at 7 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Several areas in the city faced significant pollution, with 324 at Mundka, 320 at Narela, 360 at Nehru Nagar, and 377 at Patparganj.
Okhla Phase-2 and Sonia Vihar had AQI values of 351 and 323, respectively. Vivek Vihar registered the highest AQI at 390, while 344 at R K Puram, 343 at Rohini, and 221 at Najafgarh also reported unhealthy levels.
In contrast, Mandir Marg (144) and Sri Aurobindo Marg (156) saw relatively lower but still moderate AQI readings.
The AQI scale categorizes values from 0-50 as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’, and 401-500 as ‘severe’.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has lifted Stage-IV measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), citing significant improvement in air quality.
This decision followed a review by the Sub-Committee on GRAP on January 16. In an official order, CAQM stated, “The Sub-Committee decides to revoke with immediate effect, its orders dated 15.01.2025, for invoking actions under Stage-IV (‘Severe+’ Air Quality) of extant Schedule of GRAP.”
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has dropped to 302, categorized as “Very Poor,” from the “Severe+” levels exceeding 400 recorded earlier this week. The improvement is attributed to favourable meteorological factors, including rainfall and increased wind speed. However, actions under GRAP Stages I, II, and III will continue to remain in effect to prevent a relapse in air quality.
The order further noted, “As per the Air Quality & Weather forecast provided by IMD/IITM, there is a likelihood of AQI to remain in the lower end of Very Poor category in the coming days owing to the favourable meteorological conditions and wind speed. However, only as a matter of precaution, considering the uncertainties in the model predictions and abrupt fluctuations in the meteorological factors, it was opined that Stage III of GRAP may be continued with and the situation be reviewed subsequently.”