CCP races against time to get Panaji ready for monsoon

Panaji: With the rains staying away from the capital, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has got a temporary reprieve. The civic body is now making the most of this breather and racing against time to complete monsoon preparations before the showers hit Panaji.
CCP commissioner Clen Madeira said that the pre-monsoon works should be completed by Tuesday, the same day that the IMD expects the rain to hit the state. CCP workers are currently cleaning drains, clearing up roadside debris and trimming branches that pose a risk to homes and motorists.
“By Sunday all the work will be done. We are pruning branches based on what the forest department has identified. This activity will conclude in a few days,” said Madeira while talking to TOI. He said that CCP workers have finished desilting all the drains in the city and that workers are now going around to ensure that dirt and debris has not fallen back into the drains.
Madeira along with CCP municipal engineer Vivek Parsekar also inspected the new drain constructed at Udyog Bhavan which Madeira said would address flooding in and around Azad Maidan during high tide.
“Annually there used to be water-logging near Menezes Braganza. The drain will help solve the almost 20-year-old flooding problem in the area,” said Madeira. The new drain connects to a major drain that runs along the Dr Pandurang Pissurlekar Road and which empties into the Mandovi.
“From CCP’s side we have done whatever we had to do, like construction of new drains, desilting which will either eliminate or at least reduce to a large extent. We presume that this year the flooding will not occur,” Madeira said.
CCP also intends to deploy high-capacity water pumps near the Menezes Braganza hall, 18th June road, CCP junction, Mala, Fontainhas and other low-lying areas in coordination with the water resources department. “We will have a CCP team working 24x7 even at night on duty. Those numbers will be shared with citizens soon,” the commissioner said.