Ash from Hayli Gubbi volcano may hit NW India, Delhi; DGCA asks airlines to…

Ethiopia volcano eruption: Hayli Gubbi Volcano in Ethiopia became active for the first time in approximately 12,000 years. It is now sending thick ash clouds across the Red Sea and moving over the Northern Arabian Sea. Ash clouds are expected to enter Gujarat and move towards Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and Punjab in the next few hours, while also affecting northwestern India, meteorologists said, HT reported. The plumes, consisting of volcanic ash, sulfur dioxide and even small rock particles, were around 10-15 km above the surface, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

DGCA issued advisory advice

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a warning to airlines to avoid altitudes and areas affected by volcanic ash. Airports have been told to inspect runways for contamination and suspend operations if necessary. Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that canceled some of their flights due to the volcanic ash problem. Reports suggest that clouds may also drift towards western parts of India.

In a detailed advisory, DGCA has asked airlines to strictly avoid published areas and flight levels affected by volcanic ash and adjust flight planning, routing and fuel considerations as per the latest recommendations. Additionally, airlines were asked to immediately report suspected ash incidents, including engine performance abnormalities or cabin smoke/odor.

Could increase pollution levels across NCR

Ash may worsen air quality in Delhi-NCR, which is already on the ‘severe’ threshold. At 4 pm on Monday, Delhi’s AQI was at 382. Ghaziabad recorded 396 (very poor), Noida 397, Greater Noida 382, ​​while Faridabad recorded 232 (poor) AQI. The Air Quality Management Commission has tightened the Gradual Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi-NCR, taking forward various pollution control measures to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region.