Nagpur: Health authorities on Monday morning set up temporary field OPDs in Godhani Railway township on the outskirts of Nagpur after a chlorine gas leak affected local residents. Medical teams from district health office, Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), and PHC Gumthi were deployed to monitor the situation and provide treatment.The teams conducted surveys across the affected locality and examined residents reporting symptoms. Several people complained of watery eyes and coughing, while some children were treated and given medicines at the OPDs established near the affected area.The leak, reported around 12.30am from a 900-kg chlorine gas cylinder, impacted an area within a radius of approximately 300 metres, affecting 172 houses and an estimated population of 684.Health personnel from Godhani Railway sub-centre and PHC Gumthi carried out continuous monitoring and door-to-door surveys. An IGGMCH team also established a temporary medical camp near the water treatment plant to assess and treat affected residents.Officials said the situation was brought under control, though medical teams continued surveillance and treatment in the locality as a precautionary measure.Eleven ASHA workers were deployed as part of the response. While 10 workers conducted house-to-house surveys, one ASHA worker was admitted to IGGMCH after experiencing vomiting following exposure to the gas.The IGGMCH team also assessed the health impact of the leak among several residents who had remained in their homes during the incident.Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) deployed a mobile air-quality monitoring unit to assess chlorine concentrations in the atmosphere. By 11am, the board declared the area free of toxic gas, indicating that air quality had returned to safe levels.
