KRISHNAGIRI: Chlorine gas used to mix in overhead tanks (OHT) in the Hosur City Municipal Corporation (HCMC) leaked in the OHT premises on Friday around 9 pm, following which a few residents felt irritation in their throat.
A few residents from Lakshmi Narayanan Nagar and Eswar Nagar felt slight eye irritation, sore throat and vomiting due to leakage from a used chlorine gas cylinder. Residents told TNIE, “It was around 9 pm when we felt a bleaching powder-like smell wafting through the air. On informing HCMC officials, police and fire fighters reached the spot and resolved the issue by 11.30 pm.”
There are over 2,500 houses in Lakshmi Narayanan Nagar, Eswar Nagar and its vicinity. An OHT with a capacity of 5 lakh litres caters to these areas. Water chlorination is done regularly through gas chlorination.
R Tito, HCMC assistant commissioner, said, “Residents were not largely affected as the cylinder was almost empty. Only a few kilograms leftover in the cylinder started to leak. We are also checking other OHTs where used cylinders are kept in the premises.”
A team of firefighters led by D Naga Vijayan from SIPCOT fire station reached the spot and stopped the leak by dumping the gas cylinder into a small water tank.
Ward 14 DMK councillor K Venkatesh told TNIE that he would discuss the matter with HCMC Mayor S A Sathya.