Are we rain-ready?

The situation in South Goa, which witnessed showers, does not repose much confidence

All it took was some strong winds and rain for a couple of hours in South Goa to expose the administration’s lie about its preparedness for the coming monsoon. The rain did bring the temperature down in the district, and also in North Goa thanks to the overcast skies, for sure but it left the people wondering what would happen after the arrival of the monsoon. Roads in Margao were layered with sheets of water and vehicles had to literally wade through to reach their destinations. What is worse, the entrance of the Margao Municipal Council, which is supposed to ensure that the city remains on its feet even during the worst of rains, was itself flooded. Water collected outside shops in the nearby areas, which resulted in a flood of complaints to the municipal body. Several trees fell in the coastal belt of Salcete in the Benaulim, Colva and Cavelossim areas and in Vasco, resulting in power cuts in many localities. A couple in Velsao had a miraculous escape when a tree fell on their car when they were on their way for an early morning mass.

Photos and video clips of the flooding in Margao are giving the residents of Panaji the heebie jeebies. Considering the mess created by the Smart City works, residents of the capital city are literally dreading the monsoon, even though the torrid summer kept them hoping for some relief after the arrival of the rains. Though the government and the local MLAs have been regularly putting out updates about the monsoon-related works carried out in different constituencies, they don’t seem to be inspiring much confidence among the general public as a casual chat in the market areas of the city proves. Though their businesses took a beating thanks to all the digging carried out as part of the Smart City work, which posed a lot of hurdles to consumers in accessing the shops, the owners heaved a sigh of relief once the pits were filled and the topping of the roads was carried out; this meant that it would be business as usual for them. But it was not to be; by the time the mess was cleared, the customers had already moved on and taken their business to other shops and restaurants. Now, the haphazard manner in which the works were carried out has led to fears of water-logging, which will cause further loss to their establishments. If the roads are flooded, how will customers be able to reach their shops, they wonder.

The overcast skies in the capital resulted in crowds at the municipal market and the nearby shops, with families doing last-minute shopping ahead of the imminent arrival of the monsoon. With schools set to reopen in the coming week, parents were seen rushing to buy water-resistant clothing and footwear for their children. But one wonders if this is enough. Thanks to the fears of flooding expressed by several residents and also government officials, maybe the families should stock up on food and other essentials too. The authorities, on their part, would do well to keep disaster relief personnel on alert and also requisition boats, if needed, to take people out of flooded localities.

The state government did well to appoint a special officer to speed up the Smart City works but the delay is bound to have a telling effect on Panaji, come rains. Though things are now moving and roads are being laid overnight in the dug up areas, residents are worried about the drains not being cleared and rubble blocking the flow of water once the rains start. If the drains are blocked, the water will only flood the roads and nearby buildings, they contend. Now they can do nothing but to watch the skies and pray to the rain gods not to unleash any misery on them this year. Not only the summer but this monsoon also promises to be one of discontent for the residents of Panaji.