Team Herald
PONDA: Exposing a massive hill cutting activity in the village, the locals of Wadi Talaulim and Borim on Sunday prompted the Flying Squad from South Goa Collectorate, Ponda police and bomb disposal squad team to conduct a joint raid and seized around 672 gelatin sticks, 30 kg of ammonia and urea powder, wires and three levers.
Three earthmovers and a truck were also attached during the raid.
As explosives were used to excavate the hill, a bomb disposal squad team, which later visited the site, found four more boxes of gelatine-hidden in the nearby areas with each containing more than 150 sticks. Locals, who were at the spot till late night, informed no permission was obtained by the party involved in the hill cutting activity.
According to PSI Aditya Velip, one person was involved in the hill cutting activity. Police are conducting a detailed investigation into the matter and are waiting for an official complaint to be registered by the Ponda Town and Country Planning Department and stakeholders against the hill cutting by Monday. Power supply connection also was found at the spot.
It is pertinent to note that since past two months, locals have been complaining about the gelatin sticks used in carrying out blasts by digging holes with the help of levers upto five metres depth for excavating the hill cutting. The impact caused jolts to the nearby Surya Narayan Temple (Sun Temple) situated in the nearby Borim Village Panchayat area.
The blast operations, which posed risk to the movement of locals, forced the residents to visit the site. On witnessing the hill cutting activity, the locals complained to the Flying Squad. The spot resembles a wide national highway works.
