PANAJI/PONDA/ BICHOLIM: Heavy rain, on the third consecutive day, brought down trees, damaged houses and electricity poles in different parts of the state on Thursday. A landslide was reported at Ponda and incidents of trees falling on houses were reported from several places, including Ponda and Bicholim. due to gusty winds causing heavy loss to people. The portion of a government school roof collapsed and the teachers had a narrow escape.
Bicholim taluka recorded 105mm rainfall and the river level has risen where a flood situation is expected to arise should the rain continue. However, WRD engineer K P Naik said that there is no danger of flooding.
The Bicholim disaster management cell under the guidance of Bicholim mamlatdar Pravinjay Pandit is monitoring the situation and has alerted all panchayat areas in the taluka.
At Sakhali and Bicholim the pumping out of water from the flooding point is in progress.
Roads in Dhangarwadi, Advalpal and Nanora were flooded inconveniencing the people. In Dhangarwadi, people are compelled to park their vehicles at the other end.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant reviewed the flood situation.
Around 169mm of rainfall was recorded in the Tillari dam area where the level of the dam is rising and discharge of water has started. The water of the dam in the Tilari area is being released in a controlled manner. The level of Chapora river in Sal is also rising, but there is no immediate fear.
The Anjunem dam area received 110mm of rain. The dam level is 83.01m and at present it will take a few days to fill the dam.
The situation is under control even as rivers like Bicholim, Valvanti, Par Mulgao and Ghoteli at Keri were flooded.
The incidents of tree falls caused damage to houses. In Churchwada, Bicholim, Carlos Faria suffered a loss of Rs 50,000 after a tree crashed on his house.
At Mulgao, Bicholim, the roof of the government primary school came crashing down and fell down by cutting the plaster of Paris false ceiling. Fortunately there were no students in the school due to online classes. However, two of the teachers who had come to take online classes had a narrow escape.
The walls of the houses were damaged due to falling trees in many places like Kasarpal, Chodan and Surla too.
At least four trees collapsed on two houses and an electrical line at Kerye Khandepar in Ponda taluka. On Thursday morning, a mango tree collapsed on a house owned by Pandhari C Gaude, at Bethora. Gaude has suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh.
Another tree collapsed on the house of Chandrashekhar Bakal at Undir, Bandora, causing loss of Rs 5,000.A tree also collapsed on a road leading to Shiroda ferry jetty on Thursday evening.
All the trees were cleared by Ponda firemen. The trees that have fallen on the electric lines at Khandepar will be cleared on Friday as the workers were unable to work due to loose soil. “The trees are on a hillock which is prone to landslides,” officials at the Ponda central fire station said.
A car went off the road and plunged into the fields at Betalbatim, though the occupants had a narrow escape, fire brigade sources informed.
