Cyclone Ockhi: 30 shacks damaged in Goa, owners upset over no warnings

Two men hold umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain as they stand next to a fishing boat on the Arabian Sea coast in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Dec.1 (AP Photo)

The shack owners in Goa are upset with no warnings given to their industry even as fishermen were told to avoid rough waters, a day after Cyclone Ockhi passed the seas off Goa.

On Monday, many shacks were affected, with the high tide wiping away their beach beds, forcing the shack owners to move away from water.

The damage was felt the most at Pernem sub-district bordering Maharashtra, with at least 30 shacks damaged, according to north Goa district administration.

While the government is yet to figure out the damage, the shack owners’ welfare society claims 80 per cent of the 360 shacks have been damaged. “At this stage we are counting the number of shacks which continue to be under threat of increased water levels. For now we have collated data from owners of 80 per cent of the shacks. We are worried for tonight too as there are reports coming in from north as well as south Goa that the water level is rising again,” said Cruz Cardoso, president of the association. “We will be meeting the government and asking them to help us.”

On Monday, the first impact was felt with the water levels rising by evening and wiping away most of the beach beds across Ashwem, Morjim, Mandrem and Keri. Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and the state was looking into the matter, a tourism offcial said.