Delhi Air Pollution Live Updates: Flight operations at Delhi airport were disrupted on Wednesday as several flights faced delays due to poor visibility. Visuals from across the national capital showed a dense layer of toxic smog engulfing the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast shallow to moderate fog during the morning hours on December 18, 20, and 23.
Dense fog and poor visibility across Delhi and much of North India disrupted flight operations on Thursday, prompting major airlines including SpiceJet, Air India, and IndiGo to issue travel advisories. Passengers were advised to check flight status before heading to the airport. At least 22 flights were cancelled, while over 250 flights were delayed at Delhi airport due to reduced visibility.
The disruption coincides with the rollout of the Delhi government’s additional anti-pollution measures, which came into effect today. These include shifting offices to a hybrid work mode, restricting the entry of certain vehicles, and enforcing a mandatory Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.
These steps are in addition to the Stage 4 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4), imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) after Delhi recorded ‘severe’ AQI levels for three consecutive days since December 13. While air quality has shown marginal improvement, it continues to remain in the ‘very poor’category.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh stated that non-BS VI vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be permitted to enter the city during the enforcement of GRAP Stages 3 and 4. To ensure compliance, Delhi Traffic Police and transport department teams will be deployed at city borders and petrol pumps starting Thursday.
According to the final order issued on Wednesday, the vehicle entry restriction will apply only when Stage 4 of GRAP is in force. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has withdrawn protection against coercive action for BS-III and older vehiclesin the national capital.
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