Trains delayed, Taj not visible; Locals complain of intensifying cold wave in UP

LUCKNOW: The state of Uttar Pradesh woke up to a chilly morning on Thursday. Dense fog enveloped several parts of the state, causing difficulties for the locals.

As a cold wave grips the city, Kanpur saw major delays in train schedules, leaving passengers stranded at the station. A waiting passenger said, “I am going to Kota. My train was about to arrive at 8 am, but since it’s late, it will arrive at 11 am. There’s so much cold here. We are having lots of problems here”.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Dense fog blankets Kanpur city as cold wave intensifies in Northern India. Trains are running late. pic.twitter.com/KklmRh9jzV

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025

Meanwhile, in the district of Moradabad, people urged for measures to be taken in response to extreme weather conditions. A local said, “Today it is so cold here. We witnessed fog in the early morning. I appeal to people to follow the government’s guidelines… we are unable to see anything within 100 meters. School-going children are facing most problems…”

Cities such as Prayagraj and Gorakhpur remained engulfed in fog, dropping visibility. As a result, people were seen gathering around bonfires to keep themselves warm. On the other hand, in Agra, the thick blanket of fog completely hid the Taj Mahal in plain sight.

“Yesterday, when we came here, it was clearly visible at 7 am, but today, when we are here for a walk, it’s not visible at all due to the fog… Since it’s the shore of the Yamuna River, there is fog everywhere from all sides,” a local from Agra informed.

#WATCH | Agra, Uttar Pradesh: The Taj Mahal disappears as the dense fog covers the city.

(Visuals from Taj View Point) pic.twitter.com/TLRf6ObQyc

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025

Similar weather conditions were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, raising questions about the air quality in the state. In the capital, Lucknow, residents witnessed light fog, suggesting slightly improved visibility and air quality. However, according to CPCB data, air quality varied across the city.

Additionally, Meerut and Ayodhya also witnessed light fog as cold wave conditions continued to grip the region. Bareilly recorded a ‘satisfactory’ air quality index (AQI) in the range of 0-50, while Gorakhpur recorded a ‘moderate’ air quality index of 104. But Noida, in contrast, experienced poor air quality, with Noida Sector 125 and Noida Sector 1 both registering an AQI of 328 and 347, respectively, on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the national capital, Delhi, continues to struggle with poor air quality, with locals complaining of vehicular pollution. “All cars coming from outside should be stopped. Cars with Haryana numbers and UP numbers are coming into Delhi in large numbers to jam the roads. Due to pollution, we are coughing, and we are even feeling irritation in our eyes…,” a local said.

As the cold weather intensifies in northern India, several states are taking measures to safeguard residents while tackling the issue of pollution. (ANI)