TIRUCHY: A thick layer of fog settled over Tiruchy on Tuesday morning, resulting in poor visibility. However, no major incident was reported. With vivid images of Delhi’s pollution doing the rounds, the fog gave residents a scare but officials clarified it was fog and not smog.
“It was a huge shock for us as we could not see anyone on the road when we were out for a morning walk. While fog is common in late December and January, it was shocking to witness such a sight in November,” said, Ramakrishnan, a morning walker.
Vehicle users said they had to drive slowly as other vehicles were not visible. “We had no idea about whether another vehicle was in front or not. We drove very slowly and used horns frequently to alert anyone trying to cross the road,” said Ranganathan, a newspaper delivery agent.
Officials, meanwhile, assured that pollution was under permissable levels. J Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of Revenue Administration, said, “TNPCB is monitoring the situation. PM 2.5 particles are absolutely under control, public need not panic.”
Highway officials advised motorist to drive at slow speeds to avoid mishaps. Veeramani, assistant engineer, Highways department, said, “The best way to travel safely in foggy conditions is to drive at low speed and turning on headlights. We have installed reflectors to help riders.”