The national capital is waking up to a weekend of hazardous air and blinding whiteouts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Saturday, December 20, 2025, warning of "dense to very dense" fog that has already crippled transit across the region.
Simultaneously, the city’s air quality has breached the "severe" threshold, with several monitoring stations reporting an Air Quality Index (AQI) well above 400.
Blinding Fog and Transit Chaos
Saturday morning saw visibility drop to near zero in several parts of Delhi-NCR, including IGI Airport and Safdarjung. The "orange alert" signifies that residents should "be prepared" for significant disruptions.
- Flight Delays: Over 700 flights were impacted on Friday, and authorities warn that the trend will continue through the weekend as "very dense fog" (visibility < 50m) persists during early morning hours.
- Rail and Road: Major highways leading out of Delhi have reported slow-moving traffic due to the smog-fog mix (smog), while dozens of trains have been rescheduled or delayed.
AQI Enters the "Severe" Zone
While the city average AQI hovered near 374 on Friday, real-time data on Saturday morning shows a sharp spike. Areas like Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar have recorded levels between 430 and 523, pushing the air quality into the "severe" and "hazardous" categories.
Meteorologists attribute this spike to the "inversion effect." A dip in temperatures—expected to hit a low of 7°C–9°C this weekend—traps pollutants near the ground, preventing them from dispersing.
"The lack of rain this December has been a major factor," noted an IMD official. "Without precipitation to wash away particulate matter, the pollutants simply recirculate, creating a toxic dome over the city."
GRAP-IV Restrictions in Focus
In response to the deteriorating conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has reiterated the enforcement of GRAP Stage-IV measures. These include:
- Entry Ban: No entry for non-essential trucks and non-BS-VI private diesel vehicles into Delhi.
- Construction Halt: A total ban on all demolition and construction activities across the NCR.
- School Closures: Many districts are considering or have already shifted to online classes for younger students to minimize exposure.
Health experts are advising residents to avoid all outdoor physical activity, especially during early morning and late evening hours when the smog is thickest.
