CANACONA
In an unusual incident early Monday morning, a tall coconut tree in Canacona snapped from its roots and sank into the ground, creating a deep crater.
The nearly 20-metre tall tree now stands with more than half of its trunk inside the hole, with its snapped roots visible around the crater’s edges.
The situation came to light when Isaac Fernandes, who owns the coconut plantation in Peddem-Loliem, went to investigate a loud sound he heard late Sunday night during heavy rains.
He was surprised to see one of his coconut trees had drastically reduced in height. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that 12-15 metres of the tree, along with its roots, had sunk deep into the earth.
A large crater, about 1.5 metres in diameter, has formed, and its depth is too dark to see with the naked eye.
“Based on the normal height of the coconut tree, we estimate the trunk is at least 12-15 metres underground. How this happened is unknown, but it seems like nature’s way of sending a message,” said Santan Da Costa, a social worker and former panch of Loliem-Polem village.
Residents expressed concern about what could have happened if such an event occurred under a house. Meanwhile, Canacona continues to experience heavy rainfall, flooding roads and low-lying areas.
The region had already received over 100 inches of rain by Sunday, and it continues to rise, with Chapoli Dam overflowing.
