Goa is bracing for another spell of heavy rain, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert from August 30 to September 4. The forecast warns of heavy showers across both districts, accompanied by wind speeds of 30–40 km/h and gusts up to 50 km/h.
The downpour, which has persisted all week, has already taken a toll on the State. On Friday, flood concerns mounted as the Valvanti River at Poriem, the Ragada River in Sattari, and the Mhadei River breached their banks.
Villagers in Velus also reported rising water levels.
In South Goa, the Zuari River swelled at Mirabag, Sanvordem, submerging roads and bridges and leaving the village cut off. With no flood-control structures in place, residents said the overflow validated their long-standing fears that the proposed Bhandara project could worsen flooding in the area.
Urban areas, too, were not spared. In Panjim, heavy waterlogging crippled traffic at the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited bus stand, the Directorate of Health Services, and the Old Secretariat. Commuters pointed to clogged drains, potholes, and relentless rainfall as reasons for the disruption.
According to IMD data, rainfall in Goa from June 1 to August 27 has already reached 102.7 inches, almost matching the seasonal normal of 102.9 inches. South Goa recorded a 4 per cent surplus, while North Goa registered a 5 per cent deficit.
Highlighting the wider trend, BITS-Pilani Goa Professor Dr Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi noted, “Long-term rainfall data for Goa shows an increasing trend in rainfall, along with increasing rainfall the extreme rainfall events are also rising in the state over the last century. Rising rainfall extremes events are expected under climate change scenarios. Rising rainfall extremes are especially troubling as these events are linked with the risks of flash floods and landslides.”