Dense fog engulfs UP, Taj Mahal obscured, pilgrim footfall dips in Ayodhya

Lucknow, Dec 16 (PTI) Dense fog and intensifying winter conditions disrupted daily life across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, with visibility dropping sharply in several regions, obscuring landmarks such as the Taj Mahal in Agra and leading to a noticeable decline in the number of morning pilgrims in Ayodhya.

In Agra, residents said thick fog shrouded the Taj Mahal for several hours in the morning, leaving visitors disappointed.

"Due to the fog, even the Taj Mahal was not visible today, though it is usually clearly seen," said Ramesh Kumar, a local resident.

At the Taj View Point, from where the iconic monument is usually seen in full glory, the structure remained hidden in dense mist during the early hours.

A visitor, Manoj, said the view was unclear in the morning, though the silhouette of the monument gradually became visible as the fog thinned towards noon.

In Ayodhya, temple staff said the weather conditions led to a dip in pilgrim footfall on Tuesday. A temple employee said fewer devotees were seen compared to normal days.

Abhishek Gupta, a pilgrim, suggested that bonfires should be lit at regular intervals along roadsides to help visitors cope with the cold.

Meanwhile, local shopkeeper Deepak Chaurasia said the cold had intensified over the past couple of days, affecting both daily business and the number of devotees.

Life in the state capital was also disrupted due to the weather conditions, with several flights from the Lucknow Airport running behind schedule while road commuters also slowing down.

Dr Mayur Singh said his commute from Lucknow to AIIMS Raebareli, where he works, took much longer than usual due to fog.

"Visibility was less than 100 metres, and I could not drive faster than 30 kmph," he told PTI.

Singh, who usually leaves at 6.30 am and reaches the hospital by 8 am, said it took him until 9 am on Tuesday. He also expressed concern over wrong-side driving by some vehicles, including trucks, during foggy conditions, which heightened accident risks.

Fog also slowed traffic movement on local roads and highways in Kaushambi district, adjacent to Prayagraj, where vehicles were seen moving at a crawl. In Bareilly, resident Vinod Kumar said commuters were facing major difficulties due to low visibility.

"People are having to drive very cautiously and at extremely low speeds. In the city, vehicle speed has come down to barely 20-30 kmph," he said.

Another resident Anurag Kumar said pedestrians, too, were forced to remain alert as accident risks rise during foggy conditions.

In Prayagraj and Varanasi, residents were seen lighting bonfires at several places and gathering along roadsides to keep warm. Sanitation workers, who begin work early in the morning, were also among those warming themselves by the fires.

Manoj, a sanitation worker in Varanasi, told PTI Videos that they were relying on bonfires to continue their work. Another worker, Sushil Kumar, said they had started wearing extra layers of clothing to cope with the cold.

An e-rickshaw driver in Prayagraj, Sonu, said visibility was so poor in the morning that even vehicles ahead were barely visible.

"I had to drive very slowly with parking lights on," he said, adding that the sudden increase in cold prompted him to wear gloves, a muffler and a jacket.

Abhishek Mishra, a city resident who went for a morning walk near the Yamuna bridge, said fog made visibility difficult but the weather also had a certain pleasant feel once one adjusted.

Another resident, Alpika, said the cold was significantly higher than usual and could be linked to climate change.

In Etawah, residents said fog affected office-goers and schoolchildren.

Santosh Verma said some relaxation in office and school timings would help people cope with the conditions. He also said stray animals appeared distressed due to the cold and hoped local authorities would arrange bonfires at public places.

Another resident, Arvind Kumar, said fog, cold and dampness had made morning walks difficult and stressed the need for better lighting along walking routes.

The impact of fog was also reflected in road safety, with officials saying five major road accidents occurred across the state, killing 25 people and injuring nearly 60. The incidents were reported from Mathura, Basti, Barabanki, Meerut and Unnao districts, with the highest number of casualties recorded in a multi-vehicle pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said dense to very dense fog prevailed across large parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday and warned that poor visibility is likely to persist at many places till Wednesday morning.

According to a fog impact-based advisory issued by the Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, extremely dense fog, with visibility of less than 50 metres, was recorded or was likely at isolated places in several eastern and western districts.

The IMD said dense fog, with visibility between 50 and 200 metres, was reported or expected at many places across the state, including districts such as Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya and Barabanki.

For Wednesday, dense fog is likely at many places in both eastern and western Uttar Pradesh, with very dense fog at isolated locations, particularly in the eastern region.

Dry weather conditions are expected to prevail over the next two to three days, the IMD said, adding that yellow and orange warnings have been issued in several districts, advising caution as fog may affect road, rail and air traffic. PTI COR/KIS NB NB