20240822 Smoke from three garbage fires chokes city for 5 hrs
India Aug 22 2024 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Smoke from three garbage fires chokes city for 5 hrs
Updated: 2024-08-22
Ahmedabad: A thick cloud of smoke blanketed several areas in the western parts of the city on Wednesday evening, causing severe suffocation, low visibility and panic among residents. The smoke spread rapidly across Sarkhej, Makarba, Vejalpur, Prahladnagar, Satellite and Vastrapur, but it took the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) nearly five hours to locate its source.
A senior AFES officer reported that the smoke was first noticed in Prahladnagar. “We initially suspected it was coming from near Karnavati Club, but our team found nothing there. We then dispatched hundreds of personnel to different spots,” he said.
“The first source was discovered near YMCA Club, where someone had set fire to a garbage pile. After extinguishing the fire, another call led the team to Jivraj Park, where they found another burning garbage pile. The final source was identified under the Sanathal bridge, where a third pile of garbage was ablaze,” said the fire officer.
Residents were severely affected by the smoke. Jean D’Souza, a professor living in Prahladnagar, described the scene: “Around sunset, a thick cloud of smoke descended, reducing visibility to just one block. A strange stench accompanied the smoke, making it difficult to breathe even into the late evening.”
Milind Patel, a resident of Vejalpur, experienced similar conditions. “As I crossed Shyamal Crossroads towards Jivraj Park around 7pm, I noticed a smog-like layer. My eyes started burning as soon as I crossed the bridge. It looked as if there was a fire nearby.”
Deputy municipal commissioner Vipul Thakkar confirmed that multiple fire teams were deployed to the affected areas and that no major fire incidents were reported. A senior official from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) said, “An unexpected weather inversion in Ahmedabad may have led to suffocation as the sudden change in temperature can trap pollutants close to the ground. The combined effects of vehicular emissions and isolated burning incidents exacerbated the air quality, creating a peculiar environment which was felt by residents in the western part of the city. We have a team investigating the points from where we received complaints and will be filing a report on Thursday.”
Inayat Shaikh, station fire officer of AFES, who led five teams, said that the biggest fire in a dump containing hazardous materials and automobile parts was found near Sanathal bridge.
Web Source The Times of India