Imphal, March 17 2009: With visibility reduced to a very low level due to thick layer of dust particles and smog in the atmosphere of Imphal, no passenger plane could land at Tulihal Airport yesterday.

Talking to The Sangai Express, an official of the Airport Authority of India said for the last three days, there could be no landing at Tulihal Airport from morning till late afternoon as visibility of the runway from above was very low.

Not a single plane could land at the airport yesterday.

Under the existing weather condition, flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati scheduled for arrival at Imphal in the morning may be re-scheduled for landing between 1 pm to 4 pm because of the thick haze covering the atmosphere of Imphal.

Moreover, all flights scheduled to depart Imphal for Guwahati today have been cancelled.

In the meantime social worker Amrik Sing Pahwa in a statement today said that all authorities concerned should give special considerations to the passengers of Manipur as unlike other States, they cannot avail alternative means of travel like railways.

Airlines should arrange special flights to accommodate detained passengers, he added.

All Indian Airlines flight scheduled to fly from Imphal to Silchar and Dimapur today have been cancelled as Indigo suspended all flights scheduled for this morning.

With the visibility improving a little in the afternoon, IA and Indigo flights landed at Imphal.

But no flight could land at the airport in the morning, informed the source.

In normal weather conditions, runway of the Imphal airport can be seen from 2300 metres above with the help of the Instrumental Landing System installed at the airport.

But under the existing weather condition, the runway could not be seen from any distance.

On the other hand, the Instrumental Landing System installed at Guwahati airport has broken down, informed the source.

Altogether 60 flights belonging to Indian Airlines, Indigo, Jet Lite, and Kingfisher are doing service to and from Tulihal Airport in a week.

With visibility of the runway very low, pilots are reluctant to take any risk by going ahead to land at the airport.

According to Meteorology Department, a thick haze of dust particles and smog is covering the atmosphere in the surrounding area of Imphal 500 to 600 metres above.

Although the haze cover is not that too thick, it has severely reduced visibility.

Such phenomenon occurs every year in the month of February and March when the wind is westerly.

The prevailing condition may see a change from March 20 when the wind direction is expected to go from South to West.

It is reported that the low visibility at Imphal airport may linger for the next three days.

Manipur may not see lightning or rain for the next couple of days, the source added.

A statement issued by AIR India, Imphal informed that Air India flight IC-211 and IC-212 will operate between Imphal and Kolkata directly on March 18.Arrival of IC-211 at Imphal is 1 pm while departure of IC-212 from Imphal is 1.45 pm, it added.

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