• Source:JND

Dense fog enveloped most parts of Odisha on Saturday morning, severely affecting normal life. Road traffic was disrupted due to extremely low visibility, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a fog warning for 14 districts in the state.

Reports indicate that visibility remained critically low until around 9:00 am, with drivers able to see only a few meters ahead. Vehicles were seen crawling on national highways and urban roads. Office-goers, school students, and travelers faced considerable difficulties during the morning commute.

IMD Warnings And Forecast

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense fog conditions are likely to persist in several parts of the state for the next four days. For the next 24 hours, the IMD has issued a fog alert for 14 districts, appealing to citizens to exercise special caution during morning hours.

Orange Warning: Issued for Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts, where conditions are expected to be severe.

Yellow Warning: Issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Gajapati and Sundargarh districts.

The Meteorological Department has advised drivers to use fog lights, maintain a safe distance, and avoid unnecessary travel. The administration has also been asked to remain on alert, as dense fog may compromise road safety and transport services.

Flight Operations Hit At Bhubaneswar

Airport Flight operations at Bhubaneswar Airport remained severely affected on Saturday due to the dense fog. Visibility dropped to zero in several parts of the city, preventing any flight departures in the morning. According to officials, several incoming flights were delayed or diverted to other cities.

The Director of Bhubaneswar Airport stated that due to poor visibility, three flights scheduled to land in the state capital had to be diverted. The affected flights were sent to Ranchi, Kolkata, and Chennai. Operations have been impacted for the third consecutive day due to persistent fog.

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Zero Visibility Recorded

According to the Meteorological Department, zero visibility was recorded in Bhubaneswar on Saturday morning, specifically around the Airport area, AG Square, Rajmahal, and Raj Bhawan. Reports suggest this is the first instance this winter season where visibility dropped completely to zero. While foggy conditions were observed in the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar region earlier in the week, visibility had not dropped to zero previously.

The dense fog persisted from approximately 5:30 am to 8:30 am, leading to extensive delays and diversions. Many flights were delayed by up to two hours, and some services had to be cancelled for safety reasons.

Passengers at the airport expressed frustration over the prolonged disruption. One passenger remarked, "I had to miss my connecting flight due to the dense fog. The flight from Bhubaneswar was delayed, and Air India officials attributed the delay to the foggy conditions."

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