NEW DELHI: After a brief respite, severe cold conditions returned to the national capital on Saturday and people were found huddled around bonfires along the roads to beat the chill.
“Today, there is a severe cold wave,” said a bus driver who was seen sitting near a bonfire at Turkman Gate here in the old city area.
“It is very cold today. We have been sitting around this bonfire to keep it warm,” said an old man, Noor ud Din.
Another old man, Jahangir talked about the lack of resources, saying, “Today, it is freezing. We have lit a bonfire to beat this severe cold.
We are trying to warm our hands and feet or else the shivering due to the severe cold will not stop. We are helpless. All we have is just this bonfire. We do not have any other support”.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), New Delhi’s Lodhi Road experienced ‘Very Poor’ air quality this morning with AQI recorded at 369.
The India Meteorological Department earlier predicted that cold wave conditions would likely prevail from December 31 and January 1 over Haryana, Chandigarh and New Delhi.
In a tweet on December 28, IMD said, “Reduction in dense fog and cold day conditions over northwest India during next 48 hours.
A fresh spell of dense fog and cold wave likely to commence over northwest India from 31st December 2022″. (ANI)