Picnickers failed to read signs of danger over Nagarmadi waterfall

CANACONA: Black clouds hovering over the mountains of Nagarmadi waterfalls made the previous Sunday black for the Goans.

A board installed by the Karwar rural police station on the path leading to the deadly Nagarmadi waterfall warns the picnickers against entering and swimming in the waterfall.

When this correspondent accompanied by one Devidas Naik went to Chendia village, where the Nagarmadi waterfall is situated, and asked the villagers for direction to the waterfall, they derisively asked, “Are you in your senses to go to the waterfall?” But when explained the purpose of the visit, one Santosh Naik, a local staying downstream, volunteered to take us to the waterfall. 

The way above looked scary as if it is a scene from a horror film.

Then, Santosh Naik explained what went wrong for the over 150 Goans who had come to enjoy nature’s bliss at the fall from as far as Margao, Ponda, Vasco and beyond. 

He said that till now more than 15 persons mainly from Goa have lost their lives at this waterfall where water swivels like an industrial washing machine. 

“It was 9.30 am and the sky was cloudy, when the fields at the base of the waterfall started filling up with cars with registration of Goa and by 10 am there were over 60 cars and around 150 merrymakers.

“By 11 am the picnickers got scattered at various places; some went into the clean waters gushing down the stream and others busy cooking and grilling at safer places beside the stream. But nobody noticed the black clouds hovering over the mountains above the waterfall, and by 12.40 pm it started pouring from the sky and by 2 pm the rain fallen on the catchment areas of the waterfall came roaring down from two streams converging into the stream just above the Nagarmadi waterfall,” Santosh said. 

“And within few minutes the water started rising rapidly that’s when all realised the gravity of the situation, but the terrain around the stream made it difficult for eight to escape to safety and got stranded in the middle of the raging stream; eventually six of them drowned tragically,” he explained. 

A look at the Nagarmadi stream shows scattered sandals, glass and pet bottles, playing cards, plates, bags, mats and cooking grills all over the place.