Panaji: Cyclone warning towers to be installed in state by October

PANAJI: The state government has set a deadline of October 2020 to install 38 early cyclone warning dissemination towers across the coastal belt of the state. The World Bank will provide Rs 108 crore to the state government under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation project.
The early warning dissemination system has three components that include installation of towers, shelter home during cyclone and underground electricity cabling, revenue secretary Sanjay Kumar told TOI. The World Bank funds for the project will not come as a loan, he said.
Kumar said that under the project, 39 towers — 19 in North Goa and 20 in South — would be installed across the coastline. The towers will be 5m, 10m and 15m in height and once they receive an alert, they will automatically raise an alarm, he said.
The project is being executed by the water resources department and the total cost of installation will be around Rs 18 crore. “We have set a deadline to install the tower by October 2020,” the secretary said. The state government has awarded the contract to erect the towers to BIPS System Ltd.
Around Rs 33 crore would be spent on laying underground power cables in the coastal belt so that if a cyclone hits the state, then electricity supply is not disrupted.
Twelve cyclone shelters — five in the North and seven in South — will be established in the state under the same project at a cost of Rs 38 crore. The state government has issued tenders for four shelters, construction has started on six shelters and in two cases — Zuarinagar and Altinho — the location will be changed.
Shelters will come up at Dabolim, Mahalwada, Nagarcem, Aquem and Porvorim. Kumar said that for the maintenance of cyclone shelters, as per rules, a society will be formed by involving locals. The society has to conduct social activities at the cyclone shelter and the revenue generated will be used for the maintenance of the shelters.