Panjim: With the monsoon just two weeks away, Panjimites are gearing up for the worst. The pre-monsoon works are not in full swing as yet.
On Tuesday, Team OHeraldo visited the main spots in the capital city which are the key spots for flooding in the monsoon, to ascertain the position and gauge the things to come.
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At Mala, just near the new bridge connecting Patto and Mala, is a site where flooding is reported every year. It is believed that a PWD pipeline was supposed to be laid here, but till date, nothing has been done. Moreover the place has been dredged again, leaving accumulated sewage, broken pipeline and the place has been turned into a sewage dump with mosquitoes breeding there aplenty.
Moving ahead, Team O Heraldo went near the Camrabhat and Miramar circle, both of which get heavily flooded during the monsoon. If there is continuous two days of rain, it results in submerging of roads at Miramar circle.
It is impossible for pedestrians to walk this way. When two and four wheelers wade through the street at Miramar Circle there are waves created which splash onto the pedestrians. There have been cases in the past when the water level has increased so much that the water has entered the parked vehicles.
Next up we visited the main shopping street of the capital city –the 18th June road, which is well known for its amazing eating joints, restaurants, shopping and much more, but in monsoon this street also gets famous for its flood like situation. Presently the side-road was dug and repaired but the gutters are reportedly still not properly cleaned.
Locals fear that this time the story of 18th June road will be no different and the street will flood once again this monsoon. Here in the past and each year, the roads get submerged; shops and establishments along this road suffer damage to their goods, due to the flooding and water logging.
All in all, Panjim stares at another monsoon and another bout of flooding as most of the pre monsoon works are not complete and many gutters, drains and septic pipes lie damaged and opened.
