Ammonia leak in Manali

CHENNAI: Was it an ammonia leak. or was it just a change in the wind direction carrying a whiff of gas?
While officials maintain that the phenomenon was due to the winds, residents of Manali are making heavy weather of it. A number of residents in Harikrishnapuram in Manali area complained of noxious smell,and irritaiton, due to a suspected ammonia leak from a fertiliser factory in the locality, late on Wednesday evening.Padumai Kesari, a resident of the area who runs a school for special children said, "Children complained of sore throat and suffered from irritation in the eye. We suffered for three hours. When we contacted the compnay they blamed it on the weather."
Confirming that there were complaints of ammonia leak from the public, Dr P Rajashekar, district environmental engineer, Pollution Control Board (PCB), Ambattur, said, "Since ammonia is an irritant, and even a small quantity in the ambient air can cause discomfort, we contacted the organisation and asked them to check their valves for any leaks. Officials from PCB also visted the site later," he added.
According to C C Paulraj, general superintendent of the factory, there was no leak. "Sometimes, the wind direction changes, and people living south and south-west of our factory get a whiff of the gas in the wind. There is no leak," he added. According to Rajashekar, during the winter months, the climate is not conducive to dispersal of particulate matter in the air. "When the air is heavy, the gases linger over an area and people mistake it for a leak," he added.