Dense fog: Is Odisha capital heading the Delhi way?

Bhubaneswar: After respite for a couple of days, life is going to be difficult for people as India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another spell of cold wave conditions for North interior Odisha in the next 24 hours.

Weatherman’s prediction of shallow to moderate fog from tomorrow is likely to add to intense cold that the state will experience after a lull.

Last week, sporadic spell of dense fog had engulfed Odisha capital for a couple of days, restricting visibility to almost 50 metres, and became a cause of concern.

Director, IMD Bhubaneswar, Sarat Sahu, attributed it to increasing pollutants in the air, clear sky conditions, slow wind speed (less than 10 km per hour) and adequate moisture content on the surface level.

The reason for fog formation in this part of the country is primarily due to its proximity to water bodies and slow wind speed. “Dust due to building construction work, besides industries, has contributed to air pollution. The coarse particulates settle on water vapour leading to the dense fog which engulf city during the early hours of the day and at midnight,” Sahu said.

Delhi and NCR region have witnessed several road accidents due to dense fog last year, not to mention cancellation of flights and delays in trains. With visibility dropping to 50 metres and below, motorists in Bhubaneswar too had a hard time negotiating roads.

Anticyclone formed over north coastal Andhra Pradesh also facilitated the process, Sahu said.

He, however, ruled out Delhi-like situation in Bhubaneswar. “It is unlikely because of the city’s proximity to the sea,” he added.

Worth mentioning, the state experienced cold wave conditions from January 4-12 and in the last week of December 2017 with temperature plummeting to sub 10 degree Celsius at as many as 13 places. Such long spell of intense cold was witnessed way back in 2011.

According to a statement issued by the IMD today, Phulbani recorded the lowest temperature of 4.5 degree Celsius. The temperature in Bhubaneswar is expected to drop to 13 degree Celsius tomorrow.