A thick blanket of dense fog descended upon large parts of Odisha on Thursday, severely crippling transportation networks and causing widespread inconvenience to thousands of passengers. The capital city of Bhubaneswar was among the worst affected, with air, rail, and road traffic experiencing massive delays throughout the day.
Airport Operations Halted, Passengers Stranded
The disruption was acutely felt at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA). Prasanna Pradhan, the airport director, confirmed that the airport was non-functional for two crucial hours in the morning due to poor visibility. This led to a cascade of flight delays. Niraj Kumar, a professor at a private university who was at the airport, described scenes of chaos. He noted that many flights were delayed, and the situation was compounded by a lack of seating for the stranded passengers. "If the flights had taken off as per schedule, such chaos could have been avoided," he remarked.
Rail Network Grinds to a Halt
The impact on the railway network was even more severe, with several premium and express trains running hours behind schedule. The Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express, a flagship train, departed Puri at 10:17 am, a staggering delay of over five hours from its scheduled 5 am departure. Other Vande Bharat services were also running late.
Long-distance trains bore the brunt of the disruption. The Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express reached its destination nine hours and fourteen minutes late. Its counterpart, the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, was delayed by over four hours. The list of affected trains was extensive:
- Anand Vihar Terminal-Puri Purushottam Express: Late by 6 hours.
- Rishikesh-Puri Kalinga Utkal Express (18478): Reached Puri 10 hours and 38 minutes late.
- Anand Vihar Terminal-Puri Neelanchal Express: Arrived in Puri after a delay of 12 hours and 18 minutes.
Passengers were left exhausted and frustrated. Mithun Nayak from Ganjam shared his ordeal, stating, "I should have reached Bhubaneswar at 4:10 pm on December 24. I had a connecting train to Berhampur at 7:35 pm on Wednesday, but the train reached Bhubaneswar at 4:20 am on Thursday."
Official Explanation and Road Impact
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) attributed the massive train delays directly to the dense fog. A spokesperson explained that heavy fog was observed in critical sections like Talcher-Hindol-Budhapank from 2:30 am and at Barang-Nirakarpur and Puri from 4:30 am. Trains were forced to operate at restricted speeds as a safety precaution, leading to the cumulative delays.
The fog did not spare road transport either. Bus services across the state were delayed as drivers navigated cautiously. Bus driver Chagala Behera emphasized the safety concerns, saying, "I slowed down the bus due to fog. There is a chance of an accident if we drive the bus fast."
The widespread disruption on Thursday highlighted the vulnerability of India's transport infrastructure to severe weather conditions, leaving commuters across Odisha facing a day of significant hardship and uncertainty.
