Date:30/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/30/stories/2008093054270400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Fire in pesticide godown

Staff Reporter

Residents express concern about health hazard
Shifting of the godown outside the town urged

NARASARAOPET: A major fire broke out at a private pesticides bulk storage godown near the Lal Bahudur Vegetable Market on Monday afternoon causing a loss of Rs.80 lakh. More than the loss to the property, residents of the locality expressed concern about the potential health hazards and requested local Congress leader Kasu Mahesh Reddy to shift the godown located in a residential area to outside the town.

A fire broke out in the pesticide godown owned by one Utukuri Venkateswarulu at around 2 p.m. allegedly due to short circuit and quickly spread in the vicinity. As the lone fire tender in the town was away at Rompicherla attending to a fire call, shell shocked residents came out from their homes and tried to douse the flames using water but then the fire quickly spread to the entire godown and gutted it completely.

The fire officials rushed a fire tender from Chilakaluripet at around 4 p.m., exhausted. Kasu Mahesh Reddy, son of Civil Supplies Minister Kasu Krishna Reddy reached the place and asked the municipal officials to rush water tankers. The raging fire was finally brought under control at about 5 p.m. Residents expressed their ire against the authorities for allowing a pesticide godown to function in a residential colony.