New Delhi – The India Meteorological Department has issued a Delhi orange alert for fog on Saturday, as the national capital continues to battle a deadly combination of dense fog and severe air pollution. The Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that the air quality index will climb into the 400+ “severe” category over the weekend, creating a public health emergency for millions of residents.
Massive Flight Disruptions Continue
Dense fog converged with air pollution to smother Delhi for yet another day on Friday, causing widespread disruptions across the city’s aviation sector. Over 700 flights experienced delays, while at least 177 flights were cancelled, including 88 departures and 89 arrivals. Two international flights were among those cancelled as visibility conditions deteriorated dramatically at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Delhi orange alert comes after visibility dropped to zero at the Safdarjung weather station at 5:30 am on Friday and plunged to just 50 metres at Palam. These extreme conditions forced the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert in the early hours, warning travelers and residents of the hazardous conditions.
Weekend Weather Forecast Predicts Worsening Conditions
According to IMD officials, the Delhi orange alert for Saturday indicates that dense to very dense fog is expected to form at several places across the city during the early morning hours. At night, shallow fog or mist might be observed throughout the capital region. Sunday and Monday are likely to see moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated locations during morning hours.
The air quality index, which barely moved from 373 to 374 in the 24 hours ending at 4 pm Friday, is predicted to deteriorate further. The AQEWS forecast suggests the index will climb into the 400+ “severe” category over the weekend, making outdoor activities hazardous for all residents, particularly vulnerable groups including children, elderly citizens, and those with respiratory conditions.
Air Quality Reaches Dangerous Levels
While the city’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 374 in the “very poor” category, the morning reading climbed to 382, edging dangerously close to the severe threshold of 401. Alarmingly, 11 of 40 monitoring stations across the city recorded severe air quality levels on Friday.
Vivek Vihar reported the worst air quality with an index of 434, followed by Anand Vihar at 430. At one point during the day, 14 stations were in the severe category before conditions improved slightly at some locations. The deteriorating air quality marks the ninth consecutive day of very poor or severe pollution despite aggressive enforcement measures.
Supreme Court Criticizes Pollution Control Measures
The worsening conditions that prompted the Delhi orange alert underscore what the Supreme Court described earlier this week as the “total failure” of reactive pollution control measures. An aggressive vehicular enforcement drive launched Thursday resulted in thousands of challans and widespread disruption to vehicle users across the National Capital Region, yet failed to significantly improve air quality.
Data from the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management showed vehicular pollution contributed 15.72 percent to Friday’s pollution despite Thursday’s enforcement drive targeting older vehicles and those without valid pollution certificates. Forecasts indicate this contribution will rise to 17.36 percent on Saturday and 18.41 percent on Sunday.
Temperature Drop to Intensify Pollution Crisis
The minimum temperature was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius on Friday, 0.9 degrees above normal, while the maximum reached 22.2 degrees. Forecasts suggest the minimum could fall to 7-9 degrees on Saturday, with the maximum hovering around 21-23 degrees over the weekend before dropping to 20-22 degrees by mid-next week.
The temperature decline accompanying the Delhi orange alert threatens to intensify what meteorologists call the inversion effect, trapping pollutants in lower layers of the atmosphere. “A fall in temperature can intensify the inversion effect, which can lead to a spike in pollution levels, as this causes pollutants to get trapped near the lower layers of the atmosphere,” explained Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment.
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December Becomes Dirtiest Month in Eight Years
December has already recorded three severe air days between December 13-15, with the month’s average air quality index climbing to problematic levels. The capital experienced a 24-day streak of very poor air between November 6 and 29, including three severe days from November 11-13. This December has been the dirtiest in eight years, according to pollution monitoring data.
Absence of Rainfall Compounds Crisis
The persistent fog that necessitated the Delhi orange alert also highlights the absence of rainfall this December. The Safdarjung weather station has recorded no precipitation, including trace amounts. The lack of rain prevents pollutants from being washed out of the atmosphere, compounding the air quality crisis and making recovery more difficult.
Supreme Court Orders Structural Reforms
In a sharp assessment on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management to abandon short-term responses in favor of comprehensive structural reforms addressing urban mobility, industrial emissions, and agricultural burning. The court emphasized that sustainable solutions require coordinated action across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, scheduling its next hearing for January 6.
The Delhi orange alert serves as another stark reminder of the urgent need for long-term solutions to the capital’s recurring air quality and fog crisis.
