MARGAO
In a joint operation, teams comprising of Margao Municipality, fire department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and citizens went about clearing the city roads of fallen trees and debris that disrupted the movement of traffic since Sunday.
The TB hospital road atop Monte Hill which was blocked for traffic towards the military camp side since Sunday was opened on Monday evening through a joint operation by NDRF, besides other agencies and assistance rendered by the Holy Spirit Boys.
Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes informed that the Municipal teams worked in tandem with the NDRF and fire services as the Chief Officer commended the citizens of Margao and Fatorda for lending their help and assistance in clearing the roads of the uprooted trees.
The Chief Officer pointed out that a couple of houses in the city were damaged by uprooted trees, even as Municipal officials assessed the damaged caused by the destruction caused by the cyclonic winds on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the TB hospital road was cleared for traffic on Monday evening. The road was blocked on Sunday morning after a tree came crashing down on the mortuary side of the hospital.
A NDRF team, which arrived at the spot restarted the pending work as the Holy Spirit Boys lent their assistance. The work was delayed for some time after the JCB broke down, but was immediately repaired and the road was opened for traffic by evening.
12 hours later, Chinchinim
highway motorable again
MARGAO: The National Highway at Chinchinim was finally cleared for traffic in the wee hours of Monday, as it took the authorities 12 long hours to remove the uprooted banyan tree from the road.
The banyan tree had uprooted and crashed on the National highway at Dandewaddo-Chinchinim at around 2.30 pm on Sunday. While work to clear the road for traffic had started at around at 4 pm with the arrival of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the work continued till midnight before the highway was opened for traffic at 2.30 am on Monday, after a gap of 12 long hours.
Officials in private questioned the long delay by the agencies to clear the Highway for traffic,. An official pointed out that 12 hours is indeed a long time to restore traffic on a National highway. “It is fortunate there was no major traffic on the National Highway in view of the COVID lockdown. Otherwise, there would have been chaos on the highway”, remarked an official.
Local residents also lent their helping hand to the NDRF and the fire services in the operation. IN the absence of illumination, the officials illuminated the area with the light from the vehicles, raising questions whether the agencies were not adequately equipped to carry out the operation.
