Srinagar, July 16: The home to the Police Head Quarters or PHQ the posh Hyderpora suburb of capital city which hither-to had remained by and large unaffected by violence is on the boil. As unrelenting protesters have been giving sleepless nights to the police and paramilitary CRPF ever since two boys from neighbouring Gangabugh were killed during first week of this month, the locality has of late been turned in to a large gas chamber due to over-use of tear gas.
 Keeping the Airport Road open has been the top priority with the authorities here and it was in the context that the army on being called in staged its first flag march on the road. After a lul for few days of curfew and flag marches in the locality, where an uneasy calm prevailed till day before yesterday finally erupted on Thursday evening when police tried to chase protesters from Nadroo village who had come out on the main road to register their protest against the killings. The protest turned violent as youth retaliated the police action by hurling brickbats and other projectiles at the police.
 After a night long break in the skirmishes between the protesters and police the locality reverberated with tear gas and sten grenade sounds today as protesters came out in strength to register their protest this morning. They had ding-dong battles with the police. In the process several houses suffered damage due to stone pelting by the warring sides.
 Life became hellish for the locals as the tear smoke filled their rooms through the broken window pans and many women and children fainted in the area, said Ghulam Mohammad Dar. An elder Abdul Karim also fainted due to the smoke. New born babies and many infants required resuscitation after getting exposed to the teargas, said Ghulam Rasool. He charged the police with using disproportionate force and provoking the peaceful protesters. He pooh-poohed the CM’s claim that peaceful protesters would not face any kind of force.
 According to experts 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile) is the defining component of a “tear gas” commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent. “CS gas” is actually an aerosol of a volatile solvent (a substance that dissolves other substances and that easily evaporates) and  2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, which is a solid compound at room temperature. CS gas is generally accepted as being non-lethal. However it can kill infants, children and old and weak people especially those suffering from impaired heart and liver functions, said, Dr Nazir Ahmad. He cautioned parents of infants against keeping infants in rooms filled by tear gas. They should drape their faces with wet muslin cloth or gauze or other porous cloth to minimize the ill effects of the gas.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST