Incessant rainfall over the past three days brought normal life to a standstill across Goa, casting a shadow over the otherwise vibrant celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi.
The downpour, which caused water-logging and power outages, left residents struggling to manage both routine chores and festive preparations.
Several low-lying areas in various parts of the state including the areas in Margao, and across the Salcete, experienced water logging, forcing residents to stay indoors. Market vendors, who were hoping for brisk sales during the festival season, reported poor footfall due to the incessant rains.
“Ganesh Chaturthi is the busiest time of the year for us. But with the continuous rains, customers are staying home, and sales have dropped by nearly half,” said Vinod Naik, a vendor in Margao’s municipal market.
Commuters faced long delays due to flooded roads and potholes that worsened with the incessant downpour. “It’s not just the rain; the roads are in terrible condition. It’s risky to drive even short distances,” said Rita Fernandes, a resident of Fatorda.
The weather has also impacted many families’ festive plans.
In several places, cultural programmes and processions had to be postponed or cancelled.
“We had planned a small procession and musical program for our community, but the rains forced us to cancel. It’s disappointing, but safety comes first,” said Sandeep Kamat from Cuncolim
Power disruptions were reported in several villages, adding to the frustration of residents trying to complete festive preparations.
“Cooking and decorating for the puja became a challenge with no power for hours,” complained Meena Shirodkar, a homemaker from Verna.
Despite the disruption, families across Goa found innovative ways to keep the celebrations going indoors, with smaller, intimate gatherings and online cultural events.
“Rain or no rain, Ganapati Bappa is at home. That’s what matters,” said a smiling Ankita Desai, as she prepared traditional sweets for her family.
Rains force Pondaites to stay indoors, hamper Chaturthi celebrations
A report from Ponda said heavy and incessant rain has dampened the festive spirit on the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi in Ponda, forcing residents to stay indoors. While there were only light showers during the past week, Wednesday’s heavy rainfall continued late into the night, significantly impacting the usual celebrations.
Many people opted to remain home rather than visiting friends and relatives. This also affected Chaturthi shopping, with vendors at Ponda Market reporting low footfall due to the persistent downpour. Consequently, people were unable to visit friends’ homes to see Ganesh Decoration dekhava and Matoli decorations.
At approximately 4 pm, the combination of rain and dark clouds made it seem like 7 pm, a situation that persisted throughout the night with continuous heavy rain. This led to nullahs and rivers overflowing.
Residents are concerned about the rainy conditions that have prevailed since Tuesday night. August 28, is traditionally a day for visiting relatives, and people are hopeful that the rain will subside, allowing them to go out for Ganesh darshan in larger numbers.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Goa, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, during a period between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm Panjim received a rainfall of 1.2 inches of rainfall while Mopa Airport 2.3 inches of rainfall.
Meanwhile, the IMD Goa has sounded a yellow alert for August 28, 29, September 1 and 2, 2025.
"Heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in both North and South Goa districts wind speeds of 30 to 40 kmph, reaching up to 50 kmph at isolated locations on August 28, 29, September 1 and 2," the IMD said.
According to IMD, Old Goa has received 3.2 inches of rainfall, Sanquelim 3.8 inches, Valpoi 3.3 inches, Dharbandora 3.8 inches, Canacona 4 inches and Quepem 5 inches of rainfall during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am of August 27, 2025.