Hayli Gubbi eruption: How will India be affected by ash plumes from Ethiopian volcano?

For the first time in thousands of year, Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano has erupted, sending plumes of thick ashes covering North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asai. Several flights were cancelled, diverted or delyed across various countries in the region.

How will Hayli Gubbi volcanic ash impact India?

The plumes of volcanic ashes from Hayli Gubbi is predicted to arrived in Gujarat in the coming hours. From there, it is expected to cover Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Current estimates show that the ash plumes could reach Nepal, Bhutan and Northeast India.

IndiGo has already cancelled six flights. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an advisory, warning airlines and operators about potential safety risk to aircraft in the region. It asked them to report immediately in case of suspected encounter with volcanic ash.

“If volcanic ash affects an airport of operation, the operators may advise immediate inspection of runways, taxiways, and aprons to be conducted. Airport operations may be restricted or suspended based on contamination and cleaning procedures must be completed before resuming movements,” the advisory said.

It also directed to make changes to flight planning, routing and fuel requirements based on the advisories. Airline operators were instructed to monitor ash clouds 24x7 using satellite imagery, meteorlogical data and Volcanic Ash Advisory bulletins. "You are requested to disseminate this information to all relevant operational departments and ensure strict compliance until further notice," the civil aviation regulator added.