Toxic smog chokes Delhi as air quality remains severe; over 200 flights delayed
NEW DELHI, NOV 14 : Delhi woke up to yet another morning of thick smog with the pollution remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 432 at 6 am, a slight improvement from the ‘very severe’ 452 recorded at 11 pm yesterday. Visibility at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport dropped, leading to 203 flights being delayed according to Flightradar.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, reflecting on her return to Delhi from Wayanad, said the experience was like “entering a gas chamber.”
She described the heavy smog covering Delhi, noting that while Wayanad’s air quality index was at 35, Delhi’s pollution has become a recurring crisis.
Calling for collective action beyond political divides, Priyanka said, “We really should put our heads together and find a solution for cleaner air. It’s beyond this party or that, it’s practically impossible to breathe, especially for kids, elderly people and those with respiratory issues. We just have to do something about it.”
DELHI AIR QUALITY WORSENS, FLIGHTS DELAYED
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), several areas in the capital region recorded an AQI of over 450. Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Najafgarh, Lajpat Nagar, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur are among several areas in Delhi where the average AQI was recorded in the ‘severe’ category, exceeding 450, at 6 am.
Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 473, followed closely by Patparganj at 472, Ashok Vihar at 471, and Jahangirpuri at 470.
Earlier this morning, IndiGo issued a travel advisory on its official X handle, asking passengers to monitor their flight status. The airline warned that some flights may experience delays due to “winter fog.”
“This morning, winter fog may impact flights to/from Amritsar, Varanasi & Delhi. Do keep a tab on your flight status before heading to the airport. Also, please allow additional travel time as road traffic may move slower than usual due to low visibility. Thank you for your patience, and we wish you a smooth journey,” the airlines tweeted.
-PTI
