Bhubaneswar, Jan. 1 -- On the first day of the New Year, large parts of Odisha remained under the grip of dense fog on Thursday morning, even as the intensity of the winter chill showed signs of easing, with visibility dropping to below 50 metres at several locations and disrupting normal transport and daily activities.

According to ground reports, a thick layer of fog enveloped both coastal and northern interior Odisha, significantly affecting road conditions during early morning hours. In many areas, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, sources reported that motorists were forced to slow down or halt movement due to extremely poor visibility.

Dense fog conditions were reported from a wide swathe of districts, includin...