Rains lashed the taluka on Sunday, flooding rivers and nullahs. However, the locals’ relief was short-lived as the sun emerged again the next day.

Ponda farmers are worried as the metrological department informed that there would be less rainfall this year. Many farmers who grow vegetables on hills and plateaus dug pits to collect water whenever it rains. The pits are covered with plastic. Priol resident Vithoba Naik said, “We want the rains, but it is playing hide-and-seek. Our vegetables depend on it.

The farmers are also worried about the lack of a system to take stock of the crops lost due to absence of rains, which has become a hot topic across Ponda. Locals stated that nobody enjoyed rainless days as they affected the economy, agriculture, and water 

reservoirs.