New Delhi, Jan 8 (Inditop.com) A thick blinding fog paralysed the Indian capital for the second consecutive day Friday, hitting air and rail services badly and making travelling a nightmare for tens of thousands.
Around 50 international and domestic flights as well as nearly 100 trains were affected due to poor visibility, leaving scores stranded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the three main railway stations in the capital.
Road traffic was equally chaotic as arterial and small roads jammed with snail-paced vehicles, the frustrated motorists honking away. The situation got from bad to worse during peak office hours.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that as of 11.30 a.m. as many as 25 trains to and from the capital were cancelled, 70 Delhi-bound trains were delayed and eight trains leaving Delhi had been rescheduled.
As of 1 p.m. at least 22 domestic flights were delayed while two were cancelled. Twelve international flights were delayed due to the dense fog, owing to which runway visibility dropped below the required 150 metres in the morning hours, the airport’s website said.
A massive jam on the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) flyover blocked off traffic from the eastern suburb. It decongested after many hours.
“The toll gate at DND was closed for some time because of heavy traffic. I was stuck for over an hour,” complained Sarthak Mishra, who commutes from the Noida suburb to Delhi for work.
A traffic official blamed the congestion on an accident early Friday.
“A truck hit the divider in fog which led to a traffic standstill for hours. Carsbegan moving only at 1 p.m.,” a traffic police official said.
The general visibility in the city dropped to zero early Friday and remained below 50 metres till 10 a.m, when it recorded 100 meters. The condition improved only after 1 p.m.
Thousands of air and rail passengers had a difficult time as the fog disrupted train and flight services for hours in the capital. Many said they weren’t informed about cancellations, rescheduling and delays of flights and trains.
According to the Met department, the city will have to brace itself for severe fog conditions expected Saturday.
