COLVA: A huge banyan tree came crashing down over the
Benaulim-Cavelossim road disrupting
traffic movement for over three hours.
Fire and emergency
services took almost two hours to arrive at the spot. Electricity department linemen were present, but were rendered helpless as they were awaiting for the disaster management cell to cut off the branches to start connecting the cables.
Colva traffic cell personnel were also conspicuous by their absence thereby casting a doubt on the functioning of the disaster management cell.
Panchayat ward member Nilesh Prabhudessai, who was present at the site, said that the tree was uprooted at around 3pm. “Being Sunday, there is not much traffic. I have already informed the fire and emergency services,” he said. But, till 5.15pm, there was no sign of the fire and emergency services team.
As Varca, Carmona and Cavelossim have a presence of several
star hotels, traffic on the Benaulim-Cavelossim road is quite dense.
Besides superintending engineer of the electricity department, Reshma Mathew, no government official, who are part of the disaster management cell, was present at the site to oversee the clearance of the road or the restoration of power supply.
Fire personnel were seen cutting the branches of the fallen banyan tree till well past 7pm, and the power department linemen had to wait to commence work on connecting cables.
Representative Image