Delhi strike became an opaque white canvas as a dense fog rolled in, shrouding the city and throwing flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport into disarray. Numerous flights were grounded or delayed, majorly causing inconvenience for departing passengers.
Delhi’s air travel hub turned into a waiting room for the skies to clear on Saturday, with 11 international flights among 16 delayed due to dense fog. While fog in Delhi played a role in delaying trains which remained unclear in the absence of official confirmation from the Ministry of Railways. A dawn broke over Delhi, and a clock of cold settled upon the city. Palam shivered at 14° Celsius. While Safdarganj recorded a nippy 12° Celsius.
As mercury plunged, Delhiites scrambled for solace, their silhouettes painted against the flickering flames of bonfires and the dim glow of AIIMS night shelter.
Beneath the Lodhi road bridge, huddles of figures emerged from beneath blankets and quilts, their forms barely visible in the dim light of night shelter. As Bitter winds seemed to seep through makeshift walls, Each cough seemed to amplify silence.
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A cyclist shivering in the pre-dawn chill, walkers huddled for warmth, their breaths forming frosted halos in the frigid air. Sunrises in Delhi in winter are muted affairs, golden light struggling to pierce the thick veil of fog hangs heavy such a shroud. Silhouettes painted against the hazy backdrop, Every inhale outside feels like a gamble depicting a risk of trading the bite of cold for the sting of pollutants. Delhi’s air quality nosedived into the “severe” category on Friday, prompting environment minister Gopal Rai to sound alarm. Called on all departments to dust off their pollution control action plan and repatriate their people for instant and effective implementation of Stage -3 of the Centre’s air pollution control plan.
