48 hours on, fire at vacant plot in Noida continues to simmer

Meanwhile, areas around the plot have remained under dense cover of smoke since Friday. Residents reported suffering from watering eyes and breathing difficulties since Friday, confining themselves indoors.

A fire that broke out at a vacant plot in Sector 32, Noida on Thursday continued to burn on Saturday, causing discomfort to nearby residents.

The fire started around 6pm on Thursday in Sector 32, Noida, officials said. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, chief fire officer (CFO), Gautam Budh Nagar, the fire started around 6pm on Thursday.

“Firefighters have been continuously trying to douse the fire at the large plot. The garbage dumped on the plot has caught fire which has reached 10 metres deep and is spread over an area of 1 km by 2 km,” said Chaubey.

He added that on Saturday, 75 firefighting officials were on the spot making efforts to douse the flames with water.

“As many as 18 fire tenders have been stationed at the spot, of which 12 are from our department while six have been borrowed from private entities in the city. We are still trying to ascertain the cause of fire. We hope the that the fire will be under control by Saturday night,” said the CFO.

Meanwhile, areas around the plot have remained under dense cover of smoke since Friday. Residents reported suffering from watering eyes and breathing difficulties since Friday, confining themselves indoors.

“Residents have been complaining of watering eyes and choking since Friday evening. Though the smoke has subsided on Saturday, the air is still stuffy in the area. Most of the residents are not even stepping out of their homes,” said Mahipal Singh, from Sector 35 Residents’ Welfare Association.