PONDA: The Dhavali-Farmagudi section of the National Highway (NH) which was shut for two days as a precaution after a scrapyard at Dhavali caught fire, was reopened on Sunday. Closure of the road had left commuters travelling on the Margao-Ponda-Panjim route with no option but to take a diversion through Bethora, requiring them to travel at least 8 kilometres more.
The blaze at the scrapyard, which broke out at around noon on Friday, raged till Saturday, necessitating the closure of a stretch of the highway to ensure the safety of motorists. The fire was completely doused late Saturday night and the stretch was reopened for traffic on Sunday morning.
