Political parties, especially those in the opposition or waiting to enter the political field in Goa, rushed to the flood areas with immediate relief for the affected. For them it turned out to be a great photo and video opportunity for political gains, which they didn’t let slip from their grasp. So pictures and short clips were uploaded on social media and sent forward to gain maximum mileage from the disaster. For those affected by the flood and the many homeless who have lost their life savings, this was of little help. They may have got some immediate help by way of food and essentials, but the rehabilitation of the people is a long-term effort and cannot be treated as a cheap publicity gimmick.
To get an idea of the devastation caused one needs to only look at the figures released by the government. The losses have been estimated at Rs 500 crore as approximately 832 hectares of standing crops and over 700 homes have been destroyed. The numbers of livestock that were taken by the floods is not yet available, and even the figures released are still provisional. It was a disaster like one that Goa has seldom seen before – not since 1982 as claimed by the Chief Minister. This begs the question of has there been enough disaster relief to the people who have been affected, and whether the State administration is even capable of reaching out to the people who have been affected by the floods.
What is the disaster relief that is taking place? Even over 48 hours after the floods there were assurances of immediate relief being made. The residents of the affected areas have been provided with food and shelter and have been promised compensation for the damages within 15 days, as the State expects the Centre to provide a relief package. Coming just two months after Cyclone Tauktae unleashed its fury on the west coast, the floods have presented Goa with a problem that it is not very familiar with as disasters in the State have been few and far between. That, however, is changing and Goa could expect nature to react to the changes taking place more often.
In that respect, the State may want to accept some suggestions from the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry that has presented to it. Besides the typical recommendations, it is some of the long-term recommendations that the chamber highlights that should be taken seriously. It has called for a task force to assess the reasons for repeated monsoon flooding and excessive damage witnessed over the past couple of years. GCCI has volunteered to take this up along with other partners and professional environmental experts. The chamber also states that infrastructural restoration such as dredging of water ways, building water highways from dams to seas, raising riverside heights where possible and necessary would be required. It also called for commissioning of local Disaster Management cells across red zones that will be made up of members able to actively monitor climactic changes and resultant impact, along Goa’s riverfront and catchment/command areas around dams.
A relevant point, and one that has been constantly highlighted by Herald, is that such natural disasters have been experienced more often in recent years. This fact cannot be ignored and the frequency of calamities would necessitate updating the disaster management practices to meet the rapidly changing situation. It would be an error in planning if the climate change circumstances are not considered in the long term plans of disaster management. After last year’s record monsoon that saw 41 per cent higher rainfall than average, and the current year’s rainfall, Goa needs to stand prepared to meet any eventuality arising from the changes in the weather patterns and at more frequent intervals.
