Jaipur:
Five days after the Jaipur oil depot fire, a film of black soot is descending over the city suburbs. The soot has also reached farmers fields and farmers are worried about whether it is safe for their standing crops, especially since some of the soot has settled on the crop that is used for animal fodder.
The impact of the oil fire explosion destroyed Chavi Ram's house, and now black debris are descending on his fields.
"We are worried about our fields. After all we have fodder for our cows here and these black particles are everywhere," he says.
Most people living near the oil depot have fled, but those who stayed back now have to deal with a host of health problems. Doctors are busy treating patients for asthma and allergies, like burning eyes.
"Of course you are inhaling carbon monoxide, so it's dangerous, especially for old people and children," said Dr Pradyuman Sharma, an asthma and allergy specialist.
But these black clouds are also throwing a shadow over the business establishments in this industrial area.
Alka Pande and her Italian husband Lorenzo run a food packaging unit, making eco-friendly food cartons for export. But with the soot now coming through the destroyed roof of their factory, their goods don't meet strict international standards.
"The carbon is in our containers and this is a food product so it an be harmful," says Alka.
The government is measuring the pollution in the area and says it is 1.5 times more than permissible limits.
"We are watching pollution and so far experts say there is no long-term health hazard. But we need to investigate further," says Kuldeep ranka , Collector, Jaipur.
After the fire it is the smoke which is now a cause of concern and while the government can't say exactly how harmful it is, experts are convinced this will have long-term environmental impact.