In Chinchinim, electricity poles, cables damaged

CANACONA: The strong winds and heavy rainfall that hit parts of the state on Thursday threw life out of gear for residents of the Chinchinim-Deussua panchayat. Many trees were uprooted along the national highway 66 as well as on internal roads in the panchayat’s jurisdiction. No casualties were reported.

In some parts of the village, falling trees brought down electricity lines and poles, leaving villages without power for sev-eral hours.

Sarpanch Valentino Barreto said that around 30 trees were uprooted and that he, along with panchayat members and villagers, did their best to cut the fallen trees and branches and clear the roads.

Junior engineer Shailesh Murgaonkar said that five electricity poles were damaged. The estim-ated loss, including snapped lines, was around 1.2 lakh, he said.

Barreto said that the gusty winds, accompanied by thunder and lightning, started around 6am and continued for about two hours.