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Flight Cancelled At IGI Airport: Air quality in Delhi witnessed a slight improvement on Wednesday morning, though large parts of the city remained engulfed in toxic smog, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Due to dense fog and adverse weather in Delhi and other northern states, flights were disrupted in some parts of the country.

A total of 10 flights were cancelled at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and 11 at Chennai International Airport, airport officials said.

"Flight services in Delhi and other northern states have been severely impacted due to dense fog and adverse weather conditions. Several flights bound for Delhi were unable to land and were diverted to other airports," the statement said.

According to an official statement, four departing flights and seven arriving flights were cancelled during the day. As a result, air services between Chennai and northern cities were disrupted. Four flights from Chennai to Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata and Ghaziabad were cancelled on Wednesday. Similarly, seven flights scheduled to arrive in Chennai today from Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, Pune, Kolkata, Indore and other cities have also been cancelled.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI was recorded at 328 at around 8 am on Wednesday, putting it in the 'very poor' category. The air quality improved slightly compared to Tuesday, as the AQI was 354 at 4 pm. However, large parts of the city remained engulfed in toxic smoke, and the overall air quality remained poor.

According to CPCB categorisation,

Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa had announced stringent measures to curb vehicular pollution in the national capital. According to an official release, the minister said that from December 18, fuel will not be supplied to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) at petrol pumps in Delhi.

Addressing the press conference, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "To control tailpipe emissions from vehicles, all petrol/diesel/CNG pump dealers have been instructed to provide fuel only upon presentation of a valid PUCC."

He further added, "For the protection of Delhi's air, all vehicles registered outside Delhi and of a category lower than BS-VI will not be allowed to enter Delhi when GRAP-III and GRAP-IV are implemented. No polluting vehicle will be allowed to enter Delhi."

With ANI Inputs