Dense fog blanketed Odisha on Friday, severely disrupting air and rail travel. The adverse weather conditions led to flight cancellations, significant delays, and a cascading effect on transportation schedules, leaving passengers stranded and plans in disarray.
Airport Operations Hit by Cascading Delays
At least two flights were cancelled at Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), while ten others faced delays. BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan clarified that while operations at the city airport were normal, the delays were a result of the cascading effect from other fog-affected airports across the country.
Pradhan specified that a flight destined for Delhi and another flight heading to Bhubaneswar were the ones cancelled. The situation caused considerable inconvenience to flyers. Babuli Swain, a relative of a passenger from Patia, expressed frustration, noting that people book flights for punctuality, but such delays ruin travel plans. He shared an instance where his brother-in-law arrived late for a family gathering due to the disruption.
Rail Network Paralyzed by Low Visibility
The impact on railways was even more severe. Dense fog in Odisha and other states caused widespread delays for trains heading to north India from Bhubaneswar and those coming into the state. Local and intercity services were also affected.
Major long-distance trains recorded substantial delays:
- The Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express reached the capital late by a staggering 7 hours and 48 minutes.
- The Puri-New Delhi Nandankanan Superfast Express was running 5 hours behind schedule.
- The Puri-Rishikesh Utkal Express was delayed by 7 hours.
- The Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Superfast Express arrived 3 hours and 51 minutes late.
Passenger Rohit Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, travelling on the Kalinga Utkal Express (18478), recounted his ordeal. His train reached Puri at 3:04 PM on Friday instead of the scheduled 3:25 AM. "I could not go for darshan of Lord Jagannath in the morning. I sat for around 12 more hours on the train, which derailed my travel plans," he said.
IMD Warnings and Precautionary Measures
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that 11 places, including Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, and Boudh, witnessed dense fog with visibility dropping below 50 metres. Bhubaneswar city experienced moderate fog, reducing visibility to 200 metres.
Looking ahead, the IMD has issued an orange warning for very dense fog in Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Nayagarh, Puri, Cuttack, and Khurda districts for the next two days. A yellow warning for dense fog covers several other districts including Gajapati, Ganjam, Balasore, Angul, and Sundargarh.
In response to the hazardous conditions, bus operators have been advised to exercise extreme caution. Debendra Sahu, General Secretary of the All Odisha Private Bus Owners' Association, emphasized safety, stating, "Lives and property are more important than reaching on time."
The widespread disruption underscores the significant impact of seasonal fog on India's transport infrastructure, affecting thousands of passengers during the winter months.
