Monsoon’s arrival this year was marked by an unseasonal spell of rainfall in mid-April, giving a taste of what should have been expected during the season which begins in June. The unseasonal rainfall lashed across the State and caught everyone by surprise causing a lot of damage and disruption ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that were scheduled on May 7. The capital city of Panjim with its ongoing Smart City works was exposed as the low lying areas were inundated and as an aftermath, roads too caved in. This spell of unseasonal rainfall should have rung alarm bells for the government and the administration.
The monsoon season literally began with a bang. While there was no time for pre-monsoon showers, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced a yellow alert in the first week, preparing the citizens for a rough season ahead. A fortnight later, Goans braced for a downpour like never before. It continued to rain for weeks together and the State administration could do nothing as the pre-monsoon works had not been properly undertaken and the result was widespread destruction and damage.
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The lethargy of the local government bodies to carry out pre-monsoon works led to loss of property and even lives. The ‘development’ in the State ensured that people suffered in every nook and corner with the worst of road conditions and landslides along the national highways and State highways. The continuous downpour led to collapse of walls and houses, and lives were lost too.
Rainfall has broken all the known records this year. Goa generally receives an average of about 300 cm of rainfall in a season from June to September. Last year, Goa recorded a cumulative rainfall of 335 cm between June 1 and September 30, and the season ended with 11.5% surplus rainfall. However, this year, in the first 70 days – that is from June 1 to August 9 – Goa has received an average of nearly 350 cm of rainfall and there are 50 days more to go before the official monsoon season ends.
During the recently concluded monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that government would ensure that the compensation for losses would be disbursed before Ganesh Chaturthi. While the Agriculture Department has undertaken the task of estimating the loss to farmers due to the torrential rains in the last more than two months, the Goa State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) has a task ahead to ensure compensation is released to those who have suffered non-agricultural losses. Some reports suggest that more than 2,600 farmers have applied for crop compensation from the government across the 12 zones in the State, with an estimated cumulative loss of around Rs 3.5 crore. But the non-agricultural losses incurred by the citizens are yet to be ascertained.
With 50 days still to go, has the government prepared itself to mitigate the disaster that may unfold in the event of another long spell of unprecedented rainfall? Usually it is observed that the months of August and September cover up for the rain deficit in June and July. If the skies decide to pour with open hearts once again in August and September, has the government prepared a plan to ensure least damage and destruction?
In case the monsoon continues in the manner it has been lashing Goa during the last couple of months, the GSDMA has a humongous task ahead to put in place a course of action to prevent major tragedies. The State administration will have to ensure that the municipalities and the panchayats brace for a longer season of downpour and prepare for minimising the damage and destruction by taking precautionary measures in time.
