PONDA: Tension prevailed in Ponda following the suspicious death of Ravi Gaonkar, 59, whose body was found buried in a pit at Bethora. Hundreds of villagers gathered at the site, expressing concerns over the suspicious nature of the death. The immediate demand from the locals is to drive out truck drivers who are parking trucks on both sides of the road, causing obstruction to pedestrians and posing a risk of accidents and untoward incidents.
The villagers, who had been advocating for the removal of truck parking during gram sabhas, became more aggressive after the discovery of the body. They confronted the local Sarpanch and traffic police officials present at the site, questioning why the truck parking issue had not been addressed.
In addition, locals in Ponda highlighted another issue related to open pits left dangerously uncovered. Several pits were reportedly dug for various development works, and their state poses risks to pedestrians and motorists. The lack of proper signboards and covers for these pits raised safety concerns among the residents.
It’s worth noting that last year, the body of an individual was found in a water valve chamber at Bethora Junction, which was left open.
