A firefighter during operations to extinguish a fire at Quitula-Aldona.
MAPUSA
Grass was set ablaze at Quitula and Gawar in Aldona on Saturday, prompting angry reactions from locals in the areas.
In the first incident, grass on the plateau and farmland adjacent to the Aldona Primary Health Centre in Gawar was set on fire. A Mapusa fire brigade was pressed into service but given the intensity of the fire, an additional fire brigade from Panaji was dispatched to the site and the fire was later extinguished.
In the evening, grass was set ablaze in the field near the Quitula ground. Locals were unable to control the fire and alerted the Mapusa fire station. A fire brigade was sent to the site to extinguish the flames.
According to locals, cattle would to earlier eat this grass but with fewer cattle in the area, the grass has been growing uncontrollably and it is being set on fire by unknown persons, posing a serious threat to property and environment.
Concerned residents of Quitula have demanded that authorities investigate these frequent fire incidents and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
