Zero visibility and burning eyes: Noida chokes on smoke after blaze

The massive fire that broke out at the Noida Authority’s horticulture department dumping yard in Sector 32 on Wednesday afternoon sent thick clouds of toxic smoke billowing over nearby residential sectors, hospitals and busy thoroughfares. The blaze, which began around 2pm, put visibility near zero across Sectors 30 to 36, brought traffic to a crawl and left commuters and residents gasping for air.

The incident is the latest in a string of fires at the same dumping ground, with residents recalling similar blazes in May 2023 and March 2024 that took days to bring under control.

Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations general secretary KK Jain said, “The first signs of trouble came when residents caught a strong whiff of burning waste.”

“Before we saw the smoke, we could smell it. We rushed outside thinking it was a small fire within the sector, but then realised the smoke was coming from the dumping ground in Sector 32,” Jain, also president of Sector 34 RWA, said, adding, “This is the third year in a row that this has happened — first in May 2023, then in March 2024, and now this. The authorities have done nothing to prevent it.”

The choking smoke spread across roads connecting sectors 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, leaving commuters struggling to navigate through the haze.

Sanjeev Kumar, RWA president of Sector 51, criticised the Noida Authority for failing to learn from past mistakes. “This is exactly what happened last year and the year before that. The fire kept burning for days and the authorities just sat around giving excuses. The culprit officials should be held responsible for this manmade disaster,” Kumar said.

Some families, who reside near the dumping ground in temporary hutments selling bamboo chairs and stools on the roadside, were seen packing up from the area.

“We will look for another space to spend the night and come back tomorrow to see the situation. This happens every year and lasts ten days. We hope it is doused earlier this time,” Afzal, one of the dwellers, said.

Motorcyclists, autorickshaw drivers and pedestrians were seen covering their faces with handkerchiefs, struggling to breathe in the acrid air. Sandeep Rana, a motorcyclist passing through Sector 35, said he was forced to stop by the roadside when visibility dropped to almost nothing. “I couldn’t see more than two feet ahead. The smoke was so thick that my eyes were burning and my throat felt dry and scratchy. I had to wait for a few minutes before slowly driving ahead with my headlight on in the middle of the day,” Rana said.

Ramesh Yadav, an autorickshaw driver ferrying passengers from Sector 18 to Sector 36, said the ride took nearly double the usual time. “The whole stretch was covered in this black and grey smoke. My passengers were coughing and I had to roll up the side covers to block out the smoke, but it didn’t help much. It felt like we were driving through a cloud of ash,” Yadav said.

The affected area houses several prominent hospitals Prakash Hospital in Sector 33 and Sumitra and Surbhi hospitals in Sector 35.

Child PGI Hospital in Sector 30 is also in the vicinity but doctors said the wind direction did not let the smoke spread towards that sector. Doctors at the hospital said the area remained unaffected from the smoke. However, at hospitals in sector 35, patients and their attendants complained of severe discomfort caused by the thick smoke infiltrating hospital lobbies and wards.

“I came for an OPD appointment at Sumitra Hospital for a gastro issue, but the hospital is completely shrouded in smoke,” Sunil Prajapati, a resident of Nithari village, said. “When I entered, I thought the smoke would clear up in an hour or so, but when I came out after my consultation, the air was still thick with it,” Sunil said.

Residents of Sector 35, which lies directly downwind of the dumping ground, say they are bearing the brunt of the toxic fumes. “The smoke has settled inside our homes, our balconies are covered in ash and we can’t even open the windows,” Charu Goel, a resident of Sector 35, said. “My mother-in-law is bedridden but keeping the house ventilated is impossible now. We’ve been through this before, but this time the fire feels even larger,” Goel said, adding, “We’re told every year that waste management will improve, but this same cycle repeats itself.”