Sunday, December 3, 2017 7.00 pm-11.30 pm, there seemed an abnormal current in the sea and the water hitting the shores with enormous power than usual and also entering 30-40 metres of beach beyond its actual line.
The powerful waves entered the shacks which caused panic all over with the tourists, especially foreigners, running “helter skelter”.
Thereafter, the water level went down a bit but again on December 4, with Super Moon, High Tide and Cyclone Ockhi combining, it left a trace of devastation.
“On the first evening itself we did not know what to do, the beach beds, mattresses, tables, chairs, counters, etc, everything was floating in the water,” said shack owner John Lobo, who also happens to be general secretary of Shack Owners Welfare Society.
A visit to the beaches on Thursday in Calangute, Candolim and Baga revealed the devastating trail Cyclone Ockhi left behind.
Broken chairs, tables, nails, table cloths, broken crockery, glasses was all left behind by the cyclone.
With tourism at its peak in December, the shack owners are now struggling against time to be back in business.
“Despite facing heavy losses our friends are now struggling hard to get back into businesses as this is pick season and we have staff to pay,” said Lobo.
He says that 60-70 per cent of shacks have been damaged either partially or fully. Losses, for some, have run into lakhs.
“Some shacks have come crumbling down, some washed away. Besides this, tables, chairs, beach beds have been washed away and the cyclone also damaged fans, freezers, refrigerators, crockery, etc,” he says.
Luckily for Lobo his shack was spared from the wrath of the cyclone hit sea.
Ask the other shack owners they say last year the government delayed in giving licences so they lost business but this was the first time licences were issued on time.
“For the first time government gave licences on time but this time Mother nature had something else in store,” says another operator, who did not want to be named.
He says to start the business they had taken loans and now after facing these damages he does not understand where to repay it from.
“Our first aim is to get into business first. Hopefully the government will take care of our damages,” he states.
Another operator Seby D’Souza feels the government should try and give maximum compensation as this is the only traditional business left with Goans now.
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Tuesday that those affected by the natural calamity have two days to approach government agencies with details of damage to their properties to get compensation.
The affected beaches are in Varca, Cavelossim, Utorda, Benaulim, Betalbatim, Sernabatim, Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Keri, Candolim and Anjuna.
Only legal structures damaged by sand erosion or by gushing sea water would be considered for compensation, said the government authorities.
The Minister said both District Collectors of North Goa and South Goa had been instructed to conduct field inspections of damaged properties in coastal areas along with officials of the Tourism Department and Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to establish and assess the exact nature of damage and fix compensation amounts.
