Wed Nov 13 07:49:35 UTC 2024: ## Smog Cripples Delhi Airport, Diverting Flights as Air Quality Plunges to ‘Severe’

**New Delhi, November 13, 2024:** A thick blanket of smog descended upon Delhi and surrounding areas of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad on Wednesday morning, leading to flight diversions and raising serious concerns about air quality.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded zero-meter visibility at 8:30 am, with Runway Visual Range fluctuating between 125 and 500 meters, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). As a result, 10 flights were diverted, including six to Jaipur and one to Lucknow, since 7 am.

Delhi International Airport Limited confirmed that while landings and takeoffs are ongoing, flights without CAT III compliance, a navigation system for low visibility landings, may be impacted.

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) breached the 400 mark, placing it in the ‘Severe’ category. Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad registered ‘Poor’ AQI, while Faridabad’s AQI stood at 188, categorized as ‘Moderate’.

The ‘Severe’ AQI follows two weeks of ‘Very Poor’ air quality in Delhi. The Central Pollution Control Board reported two monitoring stations, Anand Vihar and Aya Nagar, recording ‘Severe’ levels.

Very dense fog began forming around 5:30 am, prompting the weather department to forecast shallow fog throughout the day, with a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius.

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

The air pollution crisis extends beyond Delhi, affecting the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Three cities in Bihar, two in Haryana, and Chandigarh were among the top 10 most polluted locations in the country on Wednesday.

Punjab and Haryana reported ‘Poor’ air quality, with Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states, recording the worst air quality, with an AQI of 375, classified as “very poor”. This is even worse than Ludhiana, Punjab’s prominent industrial city.

The alarming situation extends to neighboring Pakistan, where UNICEF issued a warning about the health risks of worsening air pollution to 11 million children in Punjab province.

**AQI categories:**

* 0-50: Good
* 51-100: Satisfactory
* 101-200: Moderate
* 201-300: Poor
* 301-400: Very Poor
* 401-450: Severe
* Above 450: Severe Plus

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