Delhi Airport issues travel advisory: Passengers advised to take this precaution to avoid delays 

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport issued an advisory on Thursday, alerting passengers that "low visibility procedures" are now in effect due to severe smog and escalating air pollution in the city. The airport confirmed that all flight operations remain "currently normal" but advised travellers to check with their airlines for updated flight information.

The advisory comes in the wake of dense fog that enveloped Delhi on Wednesday, causing visibility at the airport to plummet to zero at times. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility was recorded at zero meters at 8:30 AM, with the Runway Visual Range fluctuating between 125 and 500 meters across various locations.

As of Thursday morning, a thick layer of smog blanketed the capital, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to 428, categorising the air quality as "severe," according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

This deterioration in air quality has led to significant disruptions in both flight and train services. IndiGo Airlines issued an early morning advisory, warning passengers of potential flight delays and cancellations due to winter fog affecting operations to and from Amritsar, Varanasi, and Delhi. The airline urged travellers to check their flight status and to allow for extra travel time as road traffic was expected to be slower than usual.

Meanwhile, the IMD suggested that increased wind activity could potentially improve pollutant levels, with expectations of the AQI moving into the "very poor" category.

The current air quality crisis marks a significant deterioration in conditions, with the AQI reaching the "severe" category for the first time this season on Wednesday. The Commission for Air Quality Management described the situation as an "episodic event" characterized by "unprecedented extremely dense fog."

Delhi has been grappling with high pollution levels for the past 14 days, a trend exacerbated by the festivities of Diwali. In response to the worsening air quality, the Central government, in consultation with the CPCB, has exempted certain industrial plants from specific provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. This exemption applies to various sectors, including the assembly of air coolers, bicycle assembly, and production of bio-fertilizers, among others.

The notification specifies that industrial plants with a pollution index score of up to 20 must inform the State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees in writing.