Delhi airport: Flights diverted due to bad smog, bad weather

As many as 18 flights at the Delhi airport were diverted due to bad weather on Saturday morning, according to an official. The official said the flights were diverted to Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Amritsar.

In a post on microblogging platform X at around 0810 hrs, the Delhi airport said low visibility procedures were in progress at the airport.

The visibility in several parts of Delhi on Saturday was relatively low, as the air quality in several areas of the national capital was recorded in the 'very poor' category. Multiple areas of the city were also covered with a layer of smog.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality in Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar was recorded as 'Very Poor'. Anand Vihar had an AQI reading of 388, while Ashok Vihar had an AQI reading of 386 at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

As per the official data, the AQI reading at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) was 375 at 10:00 a.m.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday that Grap-3 has been lifted in the national capital but the government is trying to ensure that Grap-1 and 2 are strictly implemented.

The air quality index from 0 to 100 is considered 'good', 100 to 200 'moderate', 200 to 300 'poor', 300 to 400 'very poor' and from 400 to 500 or above 'severe'.

(With text input from ANI)