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Cold wave kills 103, disrupts flights in North India
New Delhi: The cold wave death toll in North India has reached 103. The latest deaths have been reported from Bathinda and Amritsar. Mercury levels continue to be below normal, precipitating foggy conditions, which have disrupted air and railway services across the region. On Wednesday, hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as flights refused to take off in the foggy conditions. "The flight was scheduled at 8.30 a.m. (IST) in the morning, but now it will take off at 2.00 p.m. (IST). I had an important function to attend in Kolkata. I am trying for another flight but there is no response," said Jaspal Singh, a stranded passenger.
As many as 27 flights were rescheduled, including 12 flights of Jet Airways, three of Air Deccan, two of Spice Jet and six of Air Sahara. Similar conditions, which had prevailed for three consecutive days last month, had led to a meeting by the Civil Aviation Ministry, which had then issued strict instructions to private airliners to train their pilots to fly in low visibility conditions or face a ban on flying in and out of Delhi next winter. Though a new instrument landing system at the airport, installed a couple of years ago, was expected to facilitate landing and take off in such eventualities, authorities had said that the lack of trained pilots had defeated the very purpose of installing the costly equipment. Delhi alone handles over 500 flights and 13 million passengers a day. Thick fog this morning reduced visibility in places like Adampur, Halwara, Sirsa, Ambala, Sirsa and Hindon.
Railway
services were also hit by the foggy conditions. Trains like the Howrah-New
Delhi Poorva Express, Bikaner-New Delhi- Guwahati Avadh-Assam Express
and Jammu Tawi-New Delhi Shalimar Express were among some of the trains
that were delayed. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu-Srinagar Highway remains
closed due to heavy snowfall. Over 200 225 vehicles are struck on the
highway and will be allowed to proceed only after the snow is cleared.
-Jan 4, 2006
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