Cyclone Tauktae caused heavy rainfall accompanied by fierce and gusty winds leaving a trail of destruction in the State wherein several trees were uprooted, houses and vehicles damaged, roads blocked, power, telephones lines and internet services disrupted.
Along the coastal stretches in the State, it was seen that due to the cyclonic effect, gale winds caused strong waves which pounded the coast and sea water entered several houses causing damage to structures and trees along the shore.
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Although, Panjim city which received around 150mm of rain in last 24 hours and several places near the Rua de Ourem, Mala were seen flooded.
The river water was also seen entering people’s homes, it is mention that the coast line along the banks of River Mandovi, i.e. from Bhagwan Mahavir Balvihar Park at Campal upto the Miramar Beach remained undamaged and did not cause major damage to properties and structures along the Panjim-Miramar coast due to the existing retaining walls and other anti-sea erosion measures like rubble mounds along the stretch.
The segment of shoreline especially near Youth Hostel at Campal is on the outer bend of meandering river channel and the coast is subjected to soil erosion and abrasion due to concentration of strong tidal effect.
The Campal stretch located in an eco-fragile zone has faced the fury of soil erosion. There were protection walls erected by the erstwhile PWD and the then Irrigation Department and presently the Water Resources Department (WRD) in 1978-79 along the sea shore at Miramar near the Youth Hostel which has partly collapsed and this area is safeguarded by another retaining wall; anti-sea erosion measures behind the swimming pool at Campal in 1991-92; temporary anti-sea erosion measures to safeguard the light house behind Kala Academy at Campal, and areas behind the Forest Nursery and the Indoor Stadium upto the Football Stadium in 1992-93; anti-sea erosion measures behind Kala Academy, Campal and Children’s Park, Panjim in 1995-96 and 1997-98; anti-sea erosion measures were also in place behind the Bhagwan Mahavir Balvihar Park at Campal, Panjim in 2007-08 and sometime lately. As the present sea protection walls since facing the brutal force of strong tidal waves have weakened and are withering away due to the continuous impact of tidal forces, the Water Resources Department should proactively consider it necessary and expedient to build an additional sea wall along with tetrapods mound parallel to the existing old sea walls to act as a sea barrier in order to protect the fragile ecosystem and prevent Panjim from flooding.
This is an alarming call for the State government and the Water Resources Department to immediately address the problems of flooding and adopt proper anti-sea erosion measures on this stretch and other areas which are prone to inundation of water and flooding in other parts of Goa, before there is another catastrophe which besides resulting in soil erosion could cause damage to structures and endanger lives of people.
