Dense fog engulfs twin cities of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar; disrupts daily life, vehicular movement

Extremely dense fog with visibility dropping to a mere 30 meters was observed in Bhubaneswar and adjoining Cuttack on Tuesday morning. Further, several districts of Odisha also woke up to similar foggy conditions, which severely affected transportation and daily activities.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Monday, had already issued a yellow warning for the currently prevailing dense fog condition for Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal districts.

According to the weather office, the fog and low visibility will likely prevail until 9 am this morning. Further, almost the entirety of coastal Odisha is predicted to reel under shallow to moderate fog tomorrow with yellow warnings for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Cuttack, Khordha, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Angul, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati districts.

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Meanwhile, the current low visibility in the twin city has caused severe inconvenience to daily commuters as well as transport vehicles. Sources stated that several goods-laden trucks plying on the NH-16 were forced to halt at various stretches owing to near-zero visibility.

“The dense fog has made life worrisome, especially for school-going kids and morning walkers. Several accidents are taking place at key intersections as there is almost zero visibility,” stated a Cuttack resident.

The prevailing dense fog has also intensified the risk of crop damage. Vegetables such as cabbages and cauliflowers currently face the risk of rotting owing to persistent fog. Further, the inconsistent temperature has aggravated the issue.

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Mercury levels in the state have shifted suddenly as the maximum temperature crossed 30 degrees Celsius at many places of the state, including Bhubaneswar, whereas the minimum temperature remained low with the state capital recording 18 degrees Celsius last night.