Delhi's fog affects over 500 flights, trains delayed

NEW DELHI: Flight and train schedules were disrupted in the national capital on Thursday morning with over 20 flights being delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to low visibility.

A total of 20 flights were delayed. Around 14 trains were cancelled and 60 delayed due to fog. Nearly 19 trains were also rescheduled, officials said.

Over 500 flights, both domestic and international, flying into and out of the IGI Airport have been affected since Sunday when the city witnessed the worst fog of the season.

"The condition will be continued few days as the wind speed is very low and the temperature is also going down," said an official of CPCB.

The official explained that due to low temperature and wind speed the pollutants of the city are not able to go out of the environment. "The PM 2.5 is also increasing due to this condition and it is also causing a number of health problems," the officials added.

The air quality remained "very poor" throughout the day. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) observed that the average AQI recorded was 360. The experts showed their concern on the continuity of this heavy pollution.

"In the past few weeks, public concern about the quality of the air we breathe has been growing. Particulates and other pollutants are making our outdoor air toxic. As we see increasingly in Delhi, a growing number of people are reporting respiratory distress, and the government and other authorities are advising people to stay indoors as much as possible," said Mili Majumdar, managing director, Green Business Certification Institute.

The expert added that under these extreme circumstances, the need for reduced carbon emissions and cleaner indoor air quality has become ever more pressing.

"To realize those objectives, a national commitment to the adoption of green buildings and sustainable living practices is more relevant than ever," she added. Meanwhile, a parliamentary panel has asked the environment ministry to focus on initiating necessary steps to avoid underutilisation of funds for pollution abatement.

The recommendation came after the ministry in its action taken report said that the reasons for underutilisation under the scheme were non-receipt of competitive proposals meeting criteria for funding, duplication of schemes in other ministries and funding being "not attractive" to investors among others.