The launch of the much touted Tata's Nano car plant at Sanand turned into a stormy affair, literally. Strong winds and dust storms led to considerable damage on the plant campus, and also resulted in cancellation of various events organised to mark the launch of the car here.
Less than two hours after the formal inauguration of the plant by chief minister Narendra Modi and Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, the storm had everyone, including officials from Tata, vendors, journalists and other guests scurrying for cover. As the storm and winds intensified, the guests were shifted to a safer building in the plant's campus as a precautionary measure.
The storm caused heavy damage in the Tata campus
in Sanand. A number of billboards were destroyed, many light-poles were uprooted and several pots broke. Roof sheets from one of the buildings flew off their hinges because of the gusty winds.
A photographer of a language daily was injured by a flying sheet.
With the storm showing no signs of letting up, the scheduled press conference with Ratan Tata and other Tata officials was cancelled.
The flagging-off of Nano Superdrive, a 15,000-km journey across the country by Nano cars to prove their safety, by Ratan Tata, was also called off because of the storm.
However, after an hour-and-a-half, things returned to normal.
