Residents of Model Town 3 complained of ash settling in their area in the wee hours of Monday. They said it was “suffocating” for more than two hours.
When contacted, the Fire Department said that no fire was reported from the area during that particular time. The Delhi government also did not comment on the reason behind it.
A Forest Department official, after checking the issue, said it could be due to ash being dumped in a lake near the area, but said they could not confirm it at this point.
“Around 2 a.m. on Monday, we woke up to a burning smell and suffocation. When we opened our doors for some fresh air, we and found that ash was settling down all over our colony. It was raining ash and it was suffocating till 4.30 a.m.,” said Akanksha Jain, 36, a resident of Model Town 3.
“We called the Model Town police station and the duty officer said that there was a forest fire near Queen Mary’s School. The officer said that ash flew to many parts of Model Town,” she added.
Vinod, a sanitation worker in the area, also said that he found ash in many parts of the area. “There was black colour ash at many places due to a fire,” he said.
Ms. Jain said that it was not limited to their colony. “Later, I was out for work and I ound it in other parts of Model Town and even at the metro station,” she added.