Panaji, May 5 (PTI) Several people living in buildings at Taleigao village on the outskirts of Panaji were evacuated on Monday after dry grass in paddy fields caught fire and spread quickly.
A senior official from the Goa Fire and Emergency Services said at least five tenders were rushed to the spot after a minor fire in the dry grass turned into a major blaze.
Smoke has enveloped the entire Taleigao area, prompting the authorities to ask people to leave their buildings as they may face respiratory problems.
Ranjit Redkar, a senior fire officer, said several snakes and tortoises were found charred due to the fire, adding that efforts are being made to control the blaze.
“It seems someone set the dry grass afire. It has become a major fire since the afternoon. People will certainly face breathing problems,” said former Goa Pollution Control Board chief Mahesh Patil, who lives in one of the buildings in the village.
Patil said people are leaving their homes amid efforts to control the fire.
Local resident and Aam Aadmi Party leader Cecile Rodrigues said people find it unsettling to live in a place when such incidents take place.
“Senior citizens, children and infants have been affected. Many (housing) complexes have come up near the fields,” she said.
Rodrigues said the Taleigao panchayat should take action against such incidents wherein the dry grass is burnt ahead of the paddy cultivation.
“This is an ongoing issue, and I have raised it with the gram sabha (village body). The panchayat is not serious about getting the problem solved,” she said. PTI RPS NR
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