VRISHANK MAHATME
With the monsoons yet to arrive in the State, the first heavy pre-monsoon showers gave the capital an idea of what is expected when the skies open and heavy showers are experienced in the rainy season.
Small branches of trees came crashing on to the roads with regular disruptions of power and people facing water-logging and waste flowing though the unclean drains.
However, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has claimed that almost 80-85 per cent of the pre-monsoon works have been completed and the remaining shall be done in the next 10-15 days.
Meanwhile, as a part of the pre-monsoon works, the CCP had initiated several works including desalting of gutters, pruning of trees and repair of drains. CCP workers are also seen engaged in clearing the closed drains.
Speaking to Herald, CCP Mayor, Surendra Furtado said, “Panjim city is well prepared for the monsoons. As far as pre-monsoon works are concerned, the CCP started these works in mid January and we have completed the entire city, we also have gone through most of the wards. Currently around six wards are left that is two in Altinho, two in Bhatlem and one each in Boca De Vaca and Ribandar. I assure that within the next 10-15 days these pre-monsoon works in these six wards will be completed.”
“Now wherever the CCP has done pre-monsoon works in Panjim, the government has directly given road cutting permission to PWD for laying of new water pipelines in areas where some people were not getting proper water supply for the last couple of months. So now I don’t know if they have cleaned the drains they dug or not; the CCP has done its job,” said Furtado.
As Herald visited the spots as mentioned by the CCP Mayor it was found that PWD was carrying out laying of new water pipelines near Don Bosco School, Santa Maria and near the Mithai Mandir in Tonca. Surprisingly all the mud dug up to lay these pipes is literary dumped in the drains which had already been cleaned by the CCP.
“I am not aware if the PWD will clean these drains. If by chance there are floods in these areas, the CCP shall not be held responsible as those drains had already been cleaned,” the Mayor added.
However it was also revealed that as a part of the pre-monsoon works, all the storm water drains had been cleaned, including all major man holes and the water which is flowing to the sea.
Meanwhile, it may be recalled that last year heavy rains led to flooding in certain areas of Panjim. The 18th June Road was the worst affected with water entering some of the business establishments on this street. Other major roads, such as the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg and Miramar circle, were also flooded.
Given that the affected locations are known trouble spots, the situation led many to question the CCP’s preparedness for the monsoons.
“Last year also the CCP had made statements that the city is well prepared for monsoons but in the end there was water logging which flooded several parts of the city. Now for this year the people will have to wait and watch. Today (Monday) morning when it rained, many areas were filled with water. The CCP needs to find a way to completely stop such kind of flooding which can bring the city at a halt,” said Sameer Kenkre, a Caranzalem resident.
Meanwhile, the previous year also saw the capital city witnessing traffic snarls all through the day with traffic personnel finding it a little difficult to manage the vehicular movement owing to the incessant rains.
