Delhi Engulfed in Toxic Smog: Flights Disrupted, Hospitals See Rise in Breathing Issues as AQI Remains Severe

Delhi Engulfed in Toxic Smog: A thick layer of toxic smog descended over parts of India and Pakistan, screening iconic landmarks such as the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Many areas reported a level of haze that made it difficult to see through. The haze resulted in the delay of flights while also causing an upsurge in patients in hospitals for respiratory problems, with most of them children.

The Effect on Iconic Places In Agra, the Taj Mahal, arguably India's most iconical monument, was obscured from view in the gardens that led up to it by the smog. So was the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which is the holiest shrine for Sikhs, hid in thick fog so that one could not make out the architecture at close distance. The pollution was so high that it reduced visibility at both sites to such an extent that it may have been difficult for a 15-day-old infant to observe any of these places properly.

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Delhi's International Airport Also Affected Flight Delays and Low Visibility The Reuters said even the international airport in Delhi experienced severe disruption. Most flights were delayed, and 89 percent of its departures and more than half of the arriving aircraft were affected based on data from tracking website Flightradar24. The pollution combined with high humidity and calm winds resulted in an almost drastic drop in visibility. Visibility also became poor at this airport that would not allow a number of planes to land and take off easily.

Health Concerns Increasing While the smog levels are getting increased, so are the cases of people visiting hospitals. Reuters quoted Paediatrician Sahab Ram that with the onset of smog there was an increase in allergies, cough and cold, and acute asthma attacks. Hitting the most are the children. As the smog slowly started settling into the town, several residents testified the air had gotten really tough to breathe, suggesting it also caused substantial inconveniences and health issues.

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Pollution in Delhi Hits Severe Category Pollutant levels in New Delhi remained in the 'severe' category for the second consecutive day and the air quality index reached a dangerous 430 yesterday. According to the scale devised by SAFAR Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, this reading is well above the "good" range, which falls between 0-50. The officials said that pollutant levels would remain in the severe category for some more time before they show signs of improvement and reach the "very poor" category by Friday.

Farm Fires Contribute to the Smog A significant contributor to the increased severity of pollution is rising farm fires in northern India. Over the last few days, such fires have been reported in a sharp increase from 1,200 on Monday to almost 2,300 by Wednesday. Farm fires are used for clearing crop fields, but they also let off large quantities of smoke into the air, further worsening the crisis of pollution.

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