Water level catches Pernem coast by surprise

Mapusa: The sudden rise in sea level along the Pernem coast on Sunday night took shack owners and tourists in the area by surprise.
Locals said the water level started rising at around 11.45pm and went on till about 12.30am. Water ingress into the shore was almost 10m deeper than usual, they said.

“The waves kept getting stronger and started entering the huts where we store canoes and other fishing equipment. The entire community was on their toes as we feared the water level may rise further. Luckily there was no damage to life or equipment,” a fisherman from Keri, Ravi Kerkar told TOI.

In Morjim, at the mouth of Chapora river, where the river and Arabian Sea meet, there was a deep low tide with sand bars becoming visible for around more than 1.5km. Water had started receding from 5pm and it went on till 6.40pm, sources said.

As it was low tide, tourists and visitors got a chance to walk deep inside the sea for almost about 2km, entering area that is normally under sea. The cycle reversed after about 6.40pm at a much faster pace. After the lifeguards issued a warning, people, who were still in the middle of the sea, rushed to the shore for safety.

North Goa’s coastline was battered in April 2017 following cyclone Ockhi. At the time, shack owners along the coast from Morjim to Keri suffered a setback as sea water entered the area where beach beds are placed forcing them to evacuate the customers and move the beach beds and other equipment to safety.