THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA
A tree came crashing down on the Agonda Police Outpost on Friday afternoon, amid torrential pre-monsoon rains in Canacona.
Initially, the matter was reported to the Canacona fire station, but Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) personnel reportedly came and left without attending to the incident on grounds that the F&ES did not have an expert tree-cutter.
Agonda Panchayat Secretary Amol K Naik Gaunkar, who along with panchas Ramnath Velip and John Fernandes were present at the site, confirmed that the F&ES personnel had visited the site and had left without attending to the fallen tree, which was resting dangerously on the Police outpost.
Left with little option, the Agonda panchayat requisitioned a JCB and hired manpower with a tree-cutter to cut the branches and clear the tree from the roof of the police outpost.
Later when contacted, a source at Canacona F&ES admitted that the panchayat arranged for an expert tree cutter since they did not have one, but claimed that they had helped in clearing the branches.
The Agonda police outpost functions in the doctor’s quarter situated within the compound of the Agonda Primary Health Centre.
In another incident, a cashew tree fell on the house of Cipriano Fernandes at Karashirmoll-Agonda causing a loss of 5,000, while a Banyan tree came crashing down on a bar belonging to Moses Cardozo at Mastimol-Canacona. Both trees were cleared by fire personnel.
They also cleared a tree which fell on the MDR-49 road at Molorem-Khola, a tree which fell on the house of Rosario Dias at Galgibaga, a tree which fell on car shed of Rupesh Painguinkar at Kindlem-Canacona and a tree which fell on the road at Babrem-Kindlem.
