Dense fog envelops Bihar, hits normal life: air quality worsens

School classes up to Class 8 suspended till January 8 in the capital, as per the order issued by Patna district magistrate

A thick layer of fog has descended over Bihar, shrouding the state in a veil that kept the sun hidden from view throughout the day and created a drizzling-like haze in the early morning hours. The prevailing cold wave conditions has disrupted life, with residents preferring indoors due to biting chill while woes of those travelling have compounded owing to poor visibility..

Passengers cross railway tracks amid dense fog at Patna Junction on Saturday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

At Patna junction and at other important stations like Danapur, Gaya and Rajendra Nagar, trains crawled along tracks amid near-zero visibility, forcing railway officials to slash speeds for safety. Among the hardest hit were major routes linking Patna with Delhi, Howrah, Gaya and Ranchi with a staggering 83 trains delayed by anywhere from one to six hours.

Prominent trains that suffered delays included Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express, which chugged in about an hour late; the Patna-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express, delayed by roughly 2.5 hours; the Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani, running two hours behind; the Patna-Delhi Sampoorna Kranti Express, off by 1.5 hours; and the Prayagraj-Delhi Humsafar Express, also lagging by 2.5 hours. At least 28 long-distance trains bound for Patna arrived five to six hours late, with passengers of premium trains like Tejas Rajdhani and Vaishali Express on Bihar lines feeling the brunt.

The East Central Railway (ECR) had already cancelled 24 pairs of trains from January through March 2026 in anticipation of such foggy spells, but today’s chaos underscored the challenges for those still in operation.

Temperatures in Patna dipped to a low of 9°C and peaked at 16°C, prompting most folks to hunker down indoors. Similar shivers gripped other areas: Gaya ranged from 10°C to 21°C, Kishanganj hit a high of about 24°C, and Sabour in Bhagalpur district logged the state’s coldest spot at 6.4°C. Visibility cratered to just 50 meters in Forbesganj, Araria district, turning commutes into a nerve-wracking ordeal.

In a bid to ease the hardship, the district administration in Patna set up bonfires at various spots across the capital, offering a flicker of warmth for those braving the outdoors.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported no rainfall in Bihar over the past 24 hours, though minimum temperatures climbed 2-4°C in spots, spanning 6.4°C to 12.7°C. Still, the fog shows no signs of lifting soon—moderate to dense conditions are forecast for the next four to five days, with daytime highs expected to slip 1-3°C tomorrow before leveling off.

Adding to the gloom, air quality across the region has soured after a brief respite earlier in the week. Air Quality Index (AQI) of Patna was recorded between 198 to 210 in the evening, up from 150 on January 1 and 172 on January 2, signaling a steady decline. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) dominated as the primary culprits in these readings, exacerbated by the stagnant air trapped under the fog.

Officials are sounding the alarm: residents should tread carefully on roads, especially at dawn and dusk, and keep tabs on train updates. The disaster management team urged vulnerable groups—elderly, children, and those with health issues—to limit exposure.