Now, 36 hours after the fire began on the dumping ground in Sector-32, it is still smoldering on Thursday. This has made the air around quite suffocating. Fifteen fire brigade vehicles are employed along with 75 employees to extinguish the fire. However, the spread of the fire has been reduced somewhat. Firefighters are reducing the spread of fire by digging pits into the dumping ground. It may take up to two days to completely extinguish the fire.
The horticultural waste is collected by the authority garden department in this unused ground of sector-32. Here pits are made, and leaves are dumped. The waste caught fire around 2 pm on Wednesday. Due to the strong winds, it spread rapidly and immediately afterward occupied the whole ground. Since then, heavy smoke has been coming out. Currently, the most affected are sectors 35 and 33. The road from Adobe to City Center and adjoining sectors is smoking heavily.
Fire is getting air
Due to heavy winds, it is becoming very tough for firefighters to extinguish the fire. As soon as the extrication operation is completed from one end of the fire, smoke erupts again from the other side. Water tankers are also called for such a situation by the authorities. Along with this, the local police team is also present on the spot. On Thursday also, the Chief Fire Officer and police officers also visited the spot and took stock of the situation.
Fire engines making around 25 to 30 rounds
Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar Choubey stated that “15 fire engines were sent to quench the fire. Each fire engine rounds about 25-30 times throughout the day. Over 75 employees of the department are engaged day and night during this operation. Due to the garbage and dried leaves present on the ground, smoke keeps reoccurring. A complaint was lodged by the authority in this regard, based on which a written report was lodged by the Kotwali Sector-24 police, and plumber Ranjan Pradhan, an accused of setting fire, was arrested. He was produced in court on Thursday and sent to judicial custody.”
Children did not go to play and old people did not go for walks
The fire in the dumping ground of the garden department of Noida Authority in Sector-32A could not be controlled even on the second day. By Thursday, thick smoke was billowing from the site; thus, the residents of the nearby sectors were getting affected. Residents mentioned that Sectors 34 and 35 were the worst affected. Smoke had also entered houses in Sector 51. The smoke caused burning eyes, coughing, and breathing problems for many, with some needing hospitalization. Children have stopped visiting the park in the mornings and evenings, while senior citizens no longer go there for their evening strolls.
