Bhubaneswar: The city of Bhubaneswar welcomed the New Year on Thursday morning under a thick blanket of fog. Several parts of the city remained covered in dense fog during the early hours, sharply reducing visibility and affecting normal movement.

Visibility drops to 50 metres in some areas

According to ground reports, visibility dropped to as low as 50 metres at some locations. The situation was particularly challenging on highways and open stretches. Vehicle drivers were seen moving slowly and cautiously, especially on National Highways passing through the city.

Drivers urged to remain cautious

Traffic movement continued but at a slower pace due to poor visibility. Headlights and fog lamps were widely used as drivers tried to navigate safely through the misty conditions.

“I was driving early in the morning and could barely see the road ahead,” said Ramesh Behera, a local from Chandrasekharpur. “It felt risky, so I reduced speed and followed other vehicles closely.”

Another local, Sunita Nayak from the Old Town area, said the fog made the morning unusually quiet. “The city looked calm, but visibility was very low. Even walking felt unsafe near main roads,” she said.

IMD issues dense fog warning

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a dense fog warning for several districts of Odisha for tomorrow. These include Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal and Sundargarh.