PONDA: After a dry spell for weeks, heavy rains lashed Ponda since Thursday night giving a respite to locals. It was also a big relief to vegetable farmers whose crop were drying up.
However, the Ponda Municipal Council despite having ample of time to clear the gutters and drains did not fulfil their responsibilities since the first heavy showers choked the drains. The civic body’s unpreparedness was totally exposed with gutters overflowing onto the pathways and roads after just one hour of rains.
Villages namely Kavlem and Khandepar and other various parts of Ponda Taluka looked liked ponds. Road dug for electricity underground cabling too added to the misery of the villagers making the roads slippery and causing hardship to commuters, pedestrians and especially school students, who found it difficult to walk on muddy road shoulders at Paunwada at Kavlem Village Panchayat.
Similar situation also prevailed at Curti-Khandepar Village Panchayat where rain water entered into shops due to overflowing of gutters.
So a big question arises as to what pre-monsoon work did the Ponda Municipality do?
A roadside drain near Murdher junction at Khandepar overflowed with rainwater entering a roadside shop. The pre-monsoon works have not been completed and the drains in this area are still filled with stones, soil, garbage and plastic.
As a result, the rain that fell for just an hour filled the roadside drains and water started overflowing.
Locals question if the situation is so bad during the first rains, what will happen after there is continuous downpour? More importantly, when it starts raining heavily, where will the students stand since there is no bus shed at the prime junction at Khandepar.
Meanwhile, due to incessant rain on Friday, the house of Ashok Naik at Gaunem-Bandora was damaged at around 5.30 pm causing loss of Rs 80,000, Ponda Fire Station stated. The Ponda Fire personnel rushed to the spot and cleared the tree.
Similarly, a tree also collapsed on a house at Bonbaag. Tree also fell on the road at Ganjem, Chirputem, Bandora; Khandepar and Bonbaag, Bethora. The Ponda Fire Station had to attend to five such calls on Friday.
