Panic broke out among commuters headed to work and residents on Mysuru Road near Sirsi Circle on Friday morning around 8.30 a.m. when their eyes started burning and a strange odour permeated the air. It was initially assumed that there was a chemical leak. It was only when fire and emergency personnel arrived on the scene that people realised they had been exposed to tear gas from the nearby City Armed Reserve grounds.
Armoury personnel from CAR had been firing rounds of tear gas shells and grenades — a total of 12 — during a practise session, without realising that gusts of wind were blowing the chemical on to the road.
“As there was fog in the morning, many like me failed to notice whether it was smoke from the chemical or fog. But then, I felt a burning sensation in my eyes. I stopped my vehicle and police personnel came to help. Traffic had come to a standstill, as people’s eyes were watering,” said Rajgopal, a commuter.
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Two fire tenders arrived. “Initially, we also thought that the smoke was from a leakage from a nearby factory. But then we saw the CAR grounds and made enquiries,” said a fire official.
The CAR officials attributed the chemical drifting on to the road to the breeze, and said the exposure was minimal and not hazardous. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Admin) Bhushan G. Borase, who also holds additional charge of DCP, CAR, said: “It was a routine drill so that personnel have experience during real situations. A tear gas shell or grenade life is viable up to seven years from its manufacture date. The ones that were fired were three years old.”
Peak-hour traffic on Mysuru Road was affected for at least 30 minutes, as emergency personnel cordoned off the affected area. Vehicular movement was restored once the air cleared.
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