Dense fog disrupts life in Indian capital, many flights delayed
- Last updated: December 31, 2025 | 18:03 ..
The year 2025's final morning began on a grim note for residents of Delhi-NCR as dense fog, severe cold, and hazardous air quality combined to disrupt daily life across large parts of North India.
A sharp drop in temperature, extremely low visibility and poor pollution levels significantly impacted road, rail and air travel, causing delays and inconvenience for thousands of commuters and passengers.
Minimum temperatures across the NCR region were recorded between 6-9°C, intensifying the cold wave conditions.
From early morning hours, a thick blanket of fog covered the national capital, with visibility in several areas dropping close to zero.
Key stretches such as Anand Vihar, ITO, AIIMS, Ashoka Road, India Gate Circle and Mahatma Gandhi Marg witnessed extremely poor visibility due to a mix of fog and smog, forcing vehicles to move at a crawling pace. Motorists were seen relying heavily on fog lights, while traffic congestion was reported on several arterial roads.
The dense fog also affected air traffic operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Taking to social media platform X, Delhi Airport authorities issued a passenger advisory, stating: "Due to prevailing dense fog conditions, flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III protocols, which may result in delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience. For the latest flight updates, please reach out to your respective airlines. We sincerely regret for any inconvenience caused."
CAT III operations allow aircraft to land in extremely low visibility, but often lead to slower flight movement and scheduling disruptions. As a result, several arrivals and departures faced delays during the morning hours.
India's largest airline, IndiGo, also issued a travel advisory on X, warning passengers about possible disruptions across northern India.
The airline stated: "Foggy conditions are present across Delhi and several airports in northern India this morning. If reduced visibility conditions persist, flight departures and arrivals may be impacted as the day progresses."
The airline added that it was closely monitoring the situation and making operational adjustments to minimise inconvenience. Passengers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport and allow extra travel time, as fog could also affect road traffic.
Weather experts have warned that foggy conditions may persist in the coming days, urging commuters to exercise caution while travelling.
Authorities have advised people to avoid unnecessary movement during early morning hours and stay updated through official advisories as winter conditions tighten their grip on the region.
Meanwhile, Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday said the government is making "serious efforts" to address the worsening pollution problem in the national capital, while also pointing out that environmental conditions in neighbouring states are significantly affecting the city's air quality.
The capital's air quality deteriorated further on Wednesday, slipping into the “severe” category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 408.
Dense fog combined with heavy pollution sharply reduced visibility across large parts of the city, adding to commuter woes.
Speaking to reporters during an inspection at Janakpuri C2C Block, Sood said, "This pollution is not caused only by current factors or solely by Delhi. The environment in neighbouring states also plays a major role in Delhi's pollution. That is why the Delhi government is in talks with neighbouring states." He said the government is working on multiple fronts to tackle the crisis.
"Efforts are being made to control dust, strengthen public transport, and reduce emissions from vehicles, etc, to reduce the pollution levels. Last year, apart from the odd/even formula, if something had been done, maybe today, there would not have been such problems in Delhi. The previous government did not do anything, and now we are dealing with the work they had ignored," Sood said.
Emphasising that the government is taking concrete action rather than relying on slogans, the Minister said, "We are working day and night to deal with the pollution problem. Serious steps have to be taken to reduce the pollution rather than just slogans that the previous government used to make."
Indo-Asian News Service