Winter has officially announced its arrival with a thick white veil. The IMD’s latest advisory highlights a challenging week ahead for travelers as atmospheric conditions turn “hazardous” across nearly half of the state.
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Affected Districts: The Yellow Alert specifically covers Rewari, Mahendragarh, Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Jhajjar, and Rohtak. In these areas, visibility is predicted to range between 50 to 200 meters, with isolated pockets seeing “near-zero” visibility.
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The Science of the Smog: Meteorologists explain that the current fog is a “Smog-Fog” hybrid. The stagnant air from the recent stubble burning period has mixed with the incoming winter moisture, creating a persistent haze that is slow to disperse even after sunrise.
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Traffic & Safety Measures: The Haryana Traffic Police has issued a set of mandatory safety guidelines. Commuters are urged to avoid high speeds, maintain double the usual distance between vehicles, and keep their hazard lights off while moving (using low-beam fog lights instead).
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Impact on Health: The dense fog is also acting as a trap for Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Health experts in Gurugram and Rohtak have noted a slight uptick in respiratory complaints, advising children and the elderly to avoid outdoor activities before 9:00 AM.
Community Sentiment
“Driving from Rohtak to Delhi early in the morning is becoming a gamble. You can’t see the tail lights of the truck in front of you until you’re dangerously close. The Yellow Alert is a good heads-up, but we really need the highway patrol to lead convoys during peak fog hours,” said a daily commuter on NH-10.
