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News Topical, Digital Desk : To tackle the problem of low visibility due to fog on national highways during the winter season, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken several measures for the safety of commuters. NHAI said that the steps taken to enhance road safety have been classified into two categories – engineering and safety awareness measures.
What is that solution?
Engineering measures include reinstalling missing/damaged road signs, repairing blurred or inadequate pavement markings, installing markers and yellow stickers on road safety devices such as metal beam crash barriers, and implementing safety measures at construction sites. Barricading and diversion signs have also been repaired.
Safety awareness measures include the use of message signs or electronic signage to display foggy weather warnings and speed limits, the use of public address systems to warn travelers in foggy areas, and the use of electronic billboards, radio, and internet media for public service announcements.
Indigo also issued guidelines
According to ANI, IndiGo Airlines on Monday issued a travel advisory in view of low visibility and dense fog in Delhi, warning that the weather conditions may impact flight timings and cause inconvenience to passengers travelling to and from Delhi. In a post on X, IndiGo informed passengers about the weather conditions and its possible impact on operations.
Flights were badly affected
Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were severely affected on Monday morning due to dense fog. Only four flights were able to take off between 3:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. According to various airline and airport sources, 228 flights (131 departures and 97 arrivals) were cancelled.
According to reports, more than 700 flights, including both domestic and international flights, were delayed at IGI Airport from late Sunday night until the weather cleared on Monday afternoon.
Seven aircraft received start-up clearance, but were denied takeoff at 3:30 a.m. due to poor visibility. As a result, passengers were stranded inside the aircraft for 10 hours. At 5:30 a.m., all incoming flights were grounded for 90 minutes due to the parking bay being full.
By 9 a.m., 127 passenger planes were waiting in parking bays, creating a chaotic and crowded atmosphere at the airport.
Additionally, to save passengers from long waiting, 228 flights were cancelled and five flights had to be diverted to other airports like Jaipur.
In view of the situation, the airport management immediately implemented CAT-3 (Low Visibility Landing System) procedures, yet flights were badly affected.
According to various airline and airport sources, flight delays were extensive, with some flights lasting from an hour to 90 minutes. These delays also affected high-profile passengers.
More than 20 Karnataka MLAs and three senior ministers were also stranded on an Indigo flight for hours. They were told to remain seated inside the aircraft. Major airlines like Indigo and Air India have decided to cancel several flights to save passengers from long waits.
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