With the commencement of the rituals for the consecration of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, inclement weather has made commuting difficult throughout northern India, leading to chaos at airports and railway stations, with the numbers growing. On Wednesday, around 120 flights (both domestic and international) at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport experienced delays in arrivals and departures due to heavy fog and reduced visibility in the national capital and surrounding areas.
The crisis is escalating as Indian Railways has decided to cancel and short-terminate all trains, including the semi high-speed Vande Bharats bound for the holy city, until January 22, citing “developmental works”. A spokesperson for Indian Railways mentioned that 20 trains arriving in Delhi were delayed by up to five hours due to foggy weather. Commuting by roads to Ayodhya is also unsafe in the current foggy conditions.
Many travelers who had booked their flights and train tickets in advance are concerned about whether they will manage to reach Ayodhya on that day. Railway ticket bookings have surged by 80 per cent, and intercity cab operators are anticipating a 60 per cent spike in bookings, according to travel portals.
While routine commuting across the cities of northern India, including Delhi and NCR, is affected, a significant outcry is reported daily at airports and railway stations, even as the national air and rail transporters claim to have set up war rooms to facilitate passengers..
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that dense fog conditions are very likely to prevail over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and parts of Uttar Pradesh during January 17 to 22.
Flight movements are set to grow tenfold, with an unprecedented number of chartered flights ferrying India’s wealthiest devotees and others to the temple town. According to reports, more than 800 flights, including chartered flights, are expected to land at Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya. On the inauguration day, more than 100 flights are expected to land here. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia flagged off the inaugural flights connecting Ayodhya to Kolkata and Bengaluru on Wednesday. Presently, Ayodhya is connected from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
According to travel portals, amid the grand Ram Mandir Praan Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22, airfares on the Delhi-Ayodhya and Mumbai-Ayodhya routes for January 20 and 21 were reported to be around Rs 18,000-20,000 on Wednesday, compared to the average fare on the route ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000. In fact, the fares on the Mumbai-Ayodhya route were even higher, ranging from over Rs 20,000 to Rs. 24,000.
The Flight Information Display System (FIDS) at Delhi Airport reported a total of 53 flights, including 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures, and 3 international arrivals, have been cancelled and are not operating. These cancellations are attributed to fog and other operational reasons affecting flights to and from Delhi Airport. The visibility recorded at Delhi’s main weather station, Safdarjung observatory, and Palam was 200 metres at 5:30 am. Approximately 20 Delhi-bound trains were running late by up to six hours due to the weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Delhi Airport has informed the Ministry of Civil Aviation about the delayed operationalisation of the main airstrip, Runway 28/10. The airport attributed the delay to the initiation of the rehabilitation project post the G20 Summit and disruptions caused by GRAP IV measures imposed in Delhi. Runway 28/10 has been undergoing scheduled re-carpeting since mid-September, with the original completion date set for December 15, 2023. The airport emphasised in its report the necessity of this rehabilitation, crucial for ensuring the runway’s continued safety and functionality. Delhi Airport boasts two CAT III-compliant runways: the primary Runway 28/10 and the 29L/11R, situated closest to the Gurugram side. These runways adhere to international standards, facilitating precision instrument approach and landing during adverse weather conditions.
On Sunday, data from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that 508 outbound flights from the IGI airport were delayed, and 87 were cancelled. Inbound flights experienced 414 delays and 42 cancellations. Dense fog also affected operations on Monday, and on Tuesday, 50 flights were cancelled.
To address issues promptly, Scindia announced the establishment of “War Rooms” at the six metropolitan airports, where airport and airline operators will collaborate to resolve any problems related to passenger inconvenience in real-time. These “War Rooms” will be dedicated to addressing issues promptly. Furthermore, Scindia assured round-the-clock availability of sufficient CISF manpower to ensure the security and smooth functioning of operations at the airports.
Satellite imagery showed a reduction in fog over Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, northern Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. However, dense fog continues to prevail over parts of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. An official from the IMD said, “The distinction between low clouds and fog in satellite imagery is often a challenge.”
The layer of early-morning fog over the Indo-Gangetic plains in north India thinned in some parts on Wednesday, according to officials. The IMD mentioned that dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to prevail over north India for the next five days. It also said that cold-day to severe-cold-day conditions would persist over the northern plains for two more days. The IMD concluded by saying, “Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are likely to continue over northwest India for five days.”