Visibility plummets but air and rail traffic unaffected,people complain of breathing problems The coming of winter was announced in the capital Friday afternoon with the sudden onset of smog,which left people complaining of breathing difficulties and a worsening of respiratory ailments. The gloom,caused by high concentration of dust particles in the atmosphere coupled with low winds,is expected to persist in the coming days,officials from the meteorological department said. Visibility in the city fell to around as low as 500 metres Friday morning and ranged between 800 and 1,200 metres in the afternoon,the meteorological department said. However,no disruption in air or rail traffic was reported. Temperatures ranged between 15 and 32 degree Celsius on Friday. The build up of dust in the air due to the continued dry spell along with the stillness of the air had resulted in the onset of smog over the city,officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said. With no winds to disperse dust,these particles collected in the air,leading to smoggy weather said a senior official,adding that a recent study had shown that the prime sources of dust pollution in the city where its roads,where vehicle movement continually kept dust particles airborne,preventing their settling. People with respiratory ailments were advised to remain indoors as long as such conditions persist,DPCC said.
