Team Goemkarponn
TALAULIM: A major dry grass fire broke out on Sunday evening at Wadi Talaulim hills near Ramani Ground, Ponda, causing a store room shed named Sheti Kotaro to go up in flames and resulting in estimated losses of around ₹1.5 lakh.
The incident occurred at around 6:30 pm, following which personnel from the Ponda Fire Station rushed to the spot and battled the blaze for nearly an hour and a half with assistance from local residents.
Locals said the area has increasingly become a hotspot for weekend liquor parties, where unidentified individuals reportedly discard half-burnt cigarettes, often sparking fires in the dry grass.
Residents added that after the monsoon, the grass on the hills dries up and is usually harvested by farmers as fodder for cattle, but such irresponsible behaviour is putting the area at risk.
In an attempt to prevent similar incidents, locals had already cleared dry grass around Ramani Ground to safeguard local sportspersons.
They have now demanded increased police patrolling in sensitive open areas, noting that frequent fires not only destroy cashew trees and harm reptiles but also create heavy smoke pollution in the locality.
