Man washed away in Sattari, over 80 people rescued

PANAJI/VALPOI: After five days of wreaking havoc across the state, rain claimed its first casualty in Derode, Sattari, on Thursday. Subhash Chorlekar, 25, and his colleague were returning home to Kodal via Derode on Thursday at 3am on a two-wheeler. They stopped midway on an overflowing bridge and got off the bike when there was a sudden rise in the water level of the Satre river. The duo was knocked off their feet and washed away along with the bike. The pillion rider got caught in some trees and was saved while Chorlekar was dragged by the currents.
Valpoi police said Chorlekar’s family reported him missing on Thursday in Derode village which is around 15km from Valpoi. While the friend was rescued later in the morning, locals initiated a search operation and recovered Chorlekar’s body in the river in the evening, Valpoi PI Sagar Ekoskar said. Police immediately rushed to the spot to conduct the panchanama.
The flood-like situation is unlike the village has seen in the recent past. It has affected over 100 people of this interior village. Derode has been living in the dark for the past four days as many electricity poles collapsed due to gusty winds.
In addition to the state’s rain woes, the water released from the Tillari dam continued to keep authorities on its toes for a second day. Villages in Bicholim, Pernem and Bardez talukas witnessed a flood-like situation on Thursday as well. Around 150 families have been evacuated to safer areas and over 80 people had to be rescued so far.
The fire services personnel and Indian Navy with boats were roped in to carry out rescue operations. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said around 25 families have been shifted in Tivim constituency. “We have made provisions to shift more families if required,” he said, adding that people from parts of Sal, Revora, Camurlim and all of Zuem in Bardez were shifted on Wednesday night. In Pernem, families from Belapur were moved out of their homes as well.
The situation started escalating on Wednesday night when people began to panic seeing the water level rising in the villages of Pernem. Fire services have rescued over 80 people from Revora, Cansarvornem and Usgao so far.
On Thursday morning, Sawant inspected the flooded villages and said that paddy cultivation has been damaged across the state.