MARGAO: Heavy rains lashed Salcete on Thursday, disrupting normal life and causing substantial damage, including to three houses struck by fallen trees.
In one incident, a banyan tree fell on Seema Gaude’s house in Rumdamol, Margao, causing an estimated loss of Rs 15,000. However, fire personnel managed to save property worth Rs two lakh. The operation was completed within one and a half hours.
In another case, a gulmohar tree fell on a house near St Joaquim Chapel in Borda, trapping a person inside. Fortunately, the individual was rescued uninjured by the fire team led by Station Fire Officer Gil Souza. The damage was estimated at Rs 10,000, while property worth Rs 50,000 was saved. This operation took about two hours.
Additionally, a coconut tree fell on a house in Navelim behind a hospital, causing damage. Firefighters responded swiftly and saved property worth Rs 50,000.
Other incidents included a jungle tree falling on electrical wires near Mohiuddin Petrol Pump in Margao. Duty Officer A K Velip and his team cut the branches and separated the wires. Another jungle tree fell on the road near Gogol Junction, which was cleared by S R Naik and his team within an hour.
Further, a jungle tree fell on an internal road near Damodar Temple at Louis Waddo, Majorda, causing damage. The tree was cleared under the supervision of leading fire fighter P P Dessai within two hours, saving property worth Rs 30,000.
Flooding was reported on public roads, in low-lying areas, and at the Margao subway in the evening. Incidents of trees uprooting and obstructing roads were also reported in Navelim, Benaulim, Sirlim, and Fatorda.
In Benaulim, a bhendi tree fell on the road near Madhuban Complex at Tolleband, another fell near Sirlim Chapel at Bellavista, obstructing traffic and causing minor damage to an electric pole. In Fatorda, a tree fell near Ravindra Bhavan, blocking traffic. Fire personnel attended to these blockages and several others across Salcete.
SFO Souza reported that uprooted trees disrupted power and telephone services. Rainwater entered shops in low-lying areas, causing inconvenience to people and shopkeepers.
Rainwater flooded areas such as Chandor, Comba, Borda, Vidhyanagar, and Paroda. Water levels receded after a few hours, but several places in Margao and Fatorda experienced waterlogging.