Many buildings in Gnanapuram were literally eclipsed by a veil of dust on Wednesday afternoon.
Though gusty winds and gales were experienced at many places in the city it was a different experience altogether for the residents of Gnanapuram.
The strong winds kicked up dust and pollutants from the roads and many of the buildings were masked by it for a few minutes.
Residents of the area were in for a shock on seeing such a huge screen of dust.
Adinarayana, a resident of Gnanapuram, who has done his SSC and was taking coaching for polytechnic entrance test at a centre at Kancharapalem, was returning home around 2.30 p.m. “I was on the Kancharapalem flyover and was surprised to see dust all around. I couldn't see our school building (the A.R.M. Jubilee School) which is close to the flyover. I saw layers of dust like screens,” he said.
“We were in our house at that time when the dust screen had formed. Only the top portion of the building on the opposite side was visible while the rest of it was blocked by the dust, said Sujata, a housewife of Gedda Veedhi in Gnanapuram.
“The dust rose unusually high. The dust particles remained in the air for about 15 minutes,” said Padma, a resident of Railway Quarters. She lamented that while water sprinkling was being done on the roads in the Port area, located a few yards away, no such measures were being taken up in Gnanapuram which bears the brunt of coal dust pollution.
“It was around 2.30 p.m. when gales started. We ran into the security room on seeing the thick cloud of dust,” said Joji Babu, the gateman of St. Joseph's Girls High School.
“I came to seek admission for my daughter and was on the school campus at that time. The thick dust shadowed the huge school building and for a few minutes it couldn't be seen,” said Chander Rao, a resident of Kancharapalem.
Power disruption
The traffic signals at Thatichetlapalem lay hanging precariously from the cantilever poles due to the gales. “A crane is required to fix the signal lights,” said Sanyasi Naidu, the traffic constable, who was on duty at the junction.
The gales resulted in the disruption of power supply at many places in the city.
