Sattari picking up the threads of life

Valpoi : The rain-affected people of Sattari taluka have begun picking up the threads of their lives as  rain took a break on Sunday giving  a respite to the distressed people. 

Authorities said that they rolled up their sleeves to bring normalcy in the life of the rain-affected people in the taluka, and that restoration  and damage assessment works have begun.

Some extremely poor families, whose houses collapsed  at  Shivajinagar, Khadki in Valpoi constituency, have been helpless.

The houses collapsed after the torrential rains, rendering the families,  including the elderly  and children, homeless.

“We are homeless and helpless. We don’t have food to eat, nor clothes to wear on. Everything has been washed away. The government should compensate and help us to rebuild our houses,” a weeping woman said.

On Sunday, Sattari mamlatdar Dasharath Gawas visited the village and found that the houses caved in during the monsoon fury.

The homeless families have been shifted to a nearby government primary school.

“We have shifted the families to the school.  We have asked our team to provide the essentials to the families,” Gawas said.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane visited  Shivajinagar in the evening and reviewed the situation.

Assuring the affected families  that their houses will be reconstructed, he gave necessary instructions to the concerned authorities to undertake rehabilitation. 

District administration provided relief to the flood-affected families in other villages of the taluka, as  some affected villagers had been  without a roof and food to eat.

Floodwater submerged more than 100 houses, causing extensive damage to the properties.

Many families were seen cleaning debris from their houses on Sunday.

The authorities undertook measures to give timely relief to the flood-affected by forming relief distributing teams.   

“We have sent teams to different places with the essentials.   Our team distributed essentials to 180 households in Bhirondem, Savarshem, Advoi and Khadki. On Monday, our team will visit Paikul village and provide the rain-affected families with the rations,” the Sattari mamlatdar said.

It is pertinent to note here that NGOs and citizen groups from Goa have also started pitching in to help out the flood-affected people in Sattari and Ganjem by sending food packets, drinking water and other relief material.