‘Cold wave,’ fog hit Gurugram; farmers cautioned over crop loss

Agriculture officials flagged rising black rust and late blight, advising sprays and fertiliser use to protect yield and storage capacity.

Dense fog blanketed large parts of Gurugram, including Maidwas, Golf Course Road, Dayma Road and the Delhi–Gurugram expressway, on Monday, reducing visibility on key arterial roads. The conditions came as the India Meteorological Department issued a warning of very dense fog and extended its yellow alert for dense fog and cold wave condition till Tuesday.

Visibility improved to 2,000 metres by evening with light westerly winds, while dry weather is forecast to continue through the week. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Amid the weather warning, the district agriculture department cautioned farmers about possible crop damage due to cold wave and frost conditions. Officials said extreme cold was leading to an increase in black rust, white rust, late blight and other fungal diseases, affecting crop germination, growth, flowering, grain filling, yield and storage capacity.

“Persistent low temperatures stunt plant growth and weaken their resistance to diseases, leading to a decline in production. Scientific management can prevent significant crop losses,” said Dr Anil Tanwar, deputy director of the District Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.

Tanwar advised farmers to spray Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride in recommended doses and apply fertilisers containing phosphorus and potash to protect crops against cold wave and frost damage.

Meanwhile, dense fog led to poor visibility on major roads, including the Delhi–Gurugram expressway, with visibility ranging between 50 and 100 metres at 8.30 am on Monday. “While the visibility came to 2,000 metres in the evening, westerly winds of up to four to six kmph continued throughout the day,” said a senior IMD official.

The official added that weather conditions are likely to remain dry, with mainly clear skies for the rest of the week until Sunday.

Air quality in the district improved to the “moderate” category on Monday after five days of “poor” air, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The AQI was recorded at 191 at 4 pm, compared to 206 on Sunday.

At 11 pm, AQI readings stood at 186 at NISE Gwal Pahari, 262 at Sector 51 and 224 at Teri Gram. The Vikas Sadan station reported insufficient data. Gurugram recorded a minimum temperature of 8.9°C and a maximum of 17.3°C on Monday.