Dense fog has triggered a red alert in Delhi, cancelling over 128 flights and disrupting trains amid visibility as low as 50 metres, with poor air quality exacerbating the winter chaos. (28 words)
Delhi awoke to a blanket of dense fog on 29 December 2025, plunging the city into near blackout conditions and sparking widespread travel mayhem. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) escalated warnings to a red alert for 30 December, as visibility at key spots like Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and Safdarjung Observatory dipped to just 50 metres at 8 am, inching up to 100 metres by mid-morning.
This triggered the cancellation of 128 flights, diversion of eight others, and delays for nearly 200 more, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in terminals. Airport authorities activated Category-III (CAT III) low-visibility procedures, which allow landings in minimal sightlines but cannot prevent the ripple effects of such extreme weather.
“Due to dense fog, flight operations are currently under CAT III conditions, resulting in flight disruptions. Please be assured, our on-ground teams are working tirelessly,” an official advisory from Delhi’s IGI Airport stated, highlighting the strain on ground staff.
Train services across northern India faced similar fates, with delays reported on major routes into the capital, compounding the misery for daily commuters and holiday travellers rushing ahead of New Year’s Eve.
Minimum temperatures lingered at 8.3°C, offering no respite from the chill that traps pollutants close to the ground.
Air Quality Plunges to Severe Levels
Compounding the fog’s grip was Delhi’s air quality index (AQI), which nosedived from ‘very poor’ at 390 to ‘severe’ at 401 by evening, according to real-time monitors.
Stagnant winter air, low wind speeds, and emissions from vehicles, industries, and stubble burning in neighbouring states created a toxic brew, reducing visibility further and posing health risks to residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues.
The IMD’s red alert, issued around 10:30 pm on 29 December after an earlier orange warning, flagged ongoing dangers across north India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Forecasts predict ‘very poor’ air persisting through 30-31 December, potentially worsening on 1 January 2026, as festive fireworks loom.
This is not an isolated event; Delhi’s fog season, officially spanning 10 December 2025 to 10 February 2026 per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has seen escalating disruptions.
Earlier in the month, over 228 flights were grounded on a single day, with 800 delayed, underscoring a pattern that tests the city’s infrastructure annually.
Historical Patterns and Systemic Challenges
Delhi’s tryst with fog traces back decades, but climate change, rapid urbanisation, and unchecked pollution have amplified its ferocity. In past winters, similar episodes have led to over 1,000 flight delays in 24 hours, highway pile-ups claiming lives, and school closures.
The 2024-25 season alone witnessed multiple red alerts, with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforcing emergency measures like construction bans and odd-even vehicle rules-yet enforcement gaps persist.
This year’s fog arrives amid a broader environmental crisis: the national capital’s green cover has shrunk, while vehicle numbers surge past 12 million. IMD attributes the intensity to a La Niña-influenced western disturbance, stalling cold winds and trapping emissions.
Passengers shared harrowing tales on social media-families missing connections, medical emergencies delayed, and economic losses mounting for businesses reliant on timely travel.
Airlines like IndiGo and Air India issued apologies and compensation promises under DGCA norms, but critics point to inadequate investment in fog-busting tech like more CAT III-equipped runways. Regional ripple effects hit Amritsar, Lucknow, and Kanpur, where diversions overloaded smaller airports.
Official Responses and Mitigation Efforts
Authorities swung into action swiftly. The DGCA urged airlines to deploy larger aircraft for better low-visibility performance and advised passengers to check flight statuses via apps. IMD Director Kuldeep Srivastava warned, “Dense to very dense fog will continue, impacting road, rail, and air travel-citizens must exercise caution.”
Delhi Police deployed extra personnel at key junctions to manage traffic snarls, while the Delhi government activated smog towers, though their efficacy remains debated.
The CAQM considered reimposing Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes diesel generator bans and online classes for schools. Long-term, experts call for electric vehicle incentives, stricter farm fire penalties, and afforestation drives.
Despite these, public frustration boils over perceived inaction, with travellers voicing demands for better forecasting and compensation on platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
Health and Economic Toll
Beyond logistics, the fog-pollution cocktail imperils public health. Hospitals reported a spike in cases of bronchitis, asthma attacks, and conjunctivitis, with paediatric wards overwhelmed.
The elderly, like 72-year-old retiree Sunita Devi from Mayur Vihar, recounted, “I couldn’t see across the street; my chest tightened just stepping out.” Economically, losses run into crores: cargo delays hit perishable exports, tourism dips, and small traders suffer from stalled supply chains.
A Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) estimate pegs annual fog-related aviation losses at ₹500 crore for Delhi alone. Vulnerable groups-migrant workers, street vendors-bear the brunt, often without access to real-time updates or alternatives.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This fog fiasco lays bare Delhi’s vulnerability to self-inflicted environmental wounds, demanding collective resolve for cleaner air through empathy-driven policies and grassroots action.
Prioritising sustainable transport, renewable energy, and community clean-ups over blame games fosters harmony and protects lives, steering us towards coexistence with nature.
