PONDA: Unseasonal heavy rains in the State led to uprooting of trees on roads and on power lines, creating damage in Ponda and Dharbandora talukas. The timely response by local authorities and community members helped to mitigate the impact of the adverse weather conditions partially.
In the early morning hours, water entered several shops in Ponda, near the old bus stand, causing significant loss to shopkeepers. The flooding occurred as the drainage system overflowed at the old bus stand in Ponda, leading to water entering nearby establishments. The Udupi Hotel suffered extensive damage due to the water ingress.
Traffic disruptions were also observed on the Shiroda-Nirankal route, where a fallen tree blocked the road after crashing on power lines at Konse-Nirankal. Due to this incident traffic came to a complete standstill for approximately three hours, inconveniencing commuters and trapping doctors and healthcare workers heading from Shiroda Primary Health Centre to the rural health centre at Gawalwada-Nirankal. Locals came to the rescue, using private vehicles to transport the medical staff and patients to their destination. The power supply to the affected area was promptly put off by electricity workers to ensure safety.
In Ponda, several instances of uprooting of trees were reported in various places, including in front of the Goa Vidyaprasarak Mandal (GVM) at Agapur, Warkhande, Farmagudi, Khadpabandh, and other locations. Similarly, in Dharbandora taluka, a tree fell on the road leading to Sacorda.
The Ponda fire brigade personnel played a crucial role in these situations, responding swiftly to remove fallen trees and clear the traffic.
