Scores of uprooted trees damage houses, electric poles, snapping power lines and disrupting traffic at several places
MARGAO
Strong winds triggered by the Tauktae cyclone left a trail of destruction in Salcete, with the winds uprooting scores of trees, damaging houses and electric poles and power lines, and disrupting traffic at several places across the taluka.
The squally winds accompanied by heavy rains that battered the taluka since the wee hours of the day continued till Sunday evening, disrupting normal life. Many places across the villages went without power supply throughout Sunday as the uprooted trees brought down overhead powerlines disrupting power supply.
Road traffic was disrupted at several places across the taluka. The National Highway was blocked at Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim for well over five hours after a huge banyan tree came crashing down on the road at around 2.30 pm. Teams of the National Disaster Rescue Force along with locals were trying to clear the highway for traffic. A team of district and police officials comprising of DySP Harish Madkaikar, Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar, PI Theron D’Costa, besides Chinchinim panchayat officials were monitoring the work. Locals provide power saw to the team to expedite the work.
In the morning, the Margao-Velim road was blocked at Chinchinim near the CRC football ground after a huge banyan tree came crashing down on the road. The road remained closed for vehicular traffic for quite some time as the huge uprooted tree lay right in the middle. Though the road had come down at 7 in the morning, the road blockade could not be lifted till noon as the Margao fire brigade personnel were busy attending to calls elsewhere in the taluka, forcing some local residents to clear the road. A number of trees, including coconut trees had fallen on the village interior roads due to the cyclonic winds. The panchayat was trying to engage private JCB to clear the roads of the trees.
Reports of roof sheets and tiles being blown away by the strong winds have come in from many areas of the taluka, including Raia and Chinchinim, causing damage and loss.
At Damon-Raia, a husband-wife duo travelling in a car had an escape after a tree came crashing down on the road just before the vehicle could pass the site. When the husband tried to take a reverse, another tree fell behind, leaving the couple to leave the vehicle and walk to their house.
Local resident Xavier Fernandes informed that the couple had a miraculous escape after the rubber trees came down on the road.
Police barricades erected on the roads for nakabandi to enforce Covid lockdowns were washed away at some places. A couple of hoardings also came crashing down. Water logging at a couple of places was also reported.
While the winds subsided for some time for half an hour at around 11.15 am, strong winds again hit many places including Margao around noon.
A number of electric poles were left damaged and lines snapped in coastal village of Colva as uprooted lines landed on the overheard wires.
Margao Sub-Divisional Police Officer, DySP Harish Madkaikar informed that though several trees were uprooted across the Salcete division, there was no untoward incident reported from any part of the taluka.
DySP Madkaikar visited Betul on Sunday evening to assess the situation and find out whether there’s any rise in the water in the river Sal.
