Residents living in the various bylanes off Usman Road had to put up with not only the acrid smell of smoke but also irritation and watery eyes. The smell hung in the air and the thick smoke spread with the wind. With no indication of the fire subsiding and new plumes of smoke emanating from the building there was concern that it could aggravate allergic reactions among those with wheezing, asthma or bronchitis.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has sent its mobile air quality monitoring laboratory to T. Nagar. Officials, however, said it would take time to provide details of pollution levels in the area.
The acrid smell was due to the burning of synthetic fibre, plastic, furniture and other material, emitting a “cocktail of gases,” explained ecologist Sultan Ahmed Ismail. Not just carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide but other toxic oxides were in the air too, he said. Respiratory physician with Apollo Hospital R. Narasimhan said: “It is anybody’s guess what the long-term effect could be.”