Dense fog and high air quality levels have caused travel chaos in India’s capital Delhi.
Visibility in many areas was reported to be poor in the early hours of Friday, affecting flights, trains and road transport.
More than 150 flights have been delayed and dozens of trains are running late due to bad weather, reports said.
This is a repeating a problem in northern India every winter, when low temperatures between December and January trap pollution close to the ground – affecting visibility – making travel difficult and the air dangerous.
The air quality index in Delhi was above 400 in many areas, according to the government Safar website. This is more than 25 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Authorities in the capital have brought back measures to control pollution, including bans on construction and demolition activities, and school classes going online.
Video and images from Delhi and nearby cities showed a blanket of fog blanketing roads and farms and obscured buildings.
The Delhi airport has issued an alert warning passengers of possible disruption due to poor visibility.
“While landings and take-offs continue at Delhi airport, non-CAT III flights may be affected,” the statement said. advice learn. CAT III is a system that allows aircraft to land during low visibility conditions.
According to flight tracking website flightradar24, the departure from Delhi airport was delayed by more than 30 minutes and the arrival by almost 20 minutes.
Many passengers took to social media to complain about the chaos at the airport.
“No boarding gate show and no one seems to be aware of the situation,” wrote a user on X (formerly twitter).
Meanwhile, 26 trains to the city have been delayed due to fog, said the Indian Railways.
India’s weather department has predicted light showers over the weekend, which are expected to improve visibility.
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