Team Herald
MAPUSA: The residents of Mapusa were caught off guard by the continuous heavy rainfall that swept through the State.
The downpour caused widespread flooding, with roads submerged in every part of the town, and water entering houses and shops. Overflowing and unclean gutters exacerbated the situation, while several mud houses in different areas of the town collapsed following heavy downpour.
Traders faced losses, as shopkeepers and vendors struggled through knee-deep water to salvage their merchandise. Shops, supermarkets, and stores were inundated, forcing closures for the day.
The town residents, traders, vendors, and others criticised the Mapusa Municipal Council for the neglected and clogged drains, asserting that cleaning should have been completed in the first week of May.
“This is insensitivity to the plight of the people by an incompetent administration. The mess is all over for the people to see. Why does the Municipality wait for the end of summer to clear the gutters and repair the roads,” thundered Adv Creighton de Sousa.
Prasad Mandrekar, a resident, stated, “The drains and the nullahs should have been cleaned somewhere in the first week of May. Why have they waited to do this job at the eleventh hour? You cannot blame the situation on the unseasonal rains.”
Sources indicate that traders have repeatedly urged town wardens to improve basic amenities, but these requests have been ignored, leading to flooding in the market. Juhi Silveira, a market trader, said, “This is just a pre-monsoon trailer. The real drama is yet to unfold once it begins to pour. Not a single gutter has been cleaned till date.”
Shashikala Govekar, president of fish workers, added, “Even dustbins filled with waste are not cleared for days. The gutters are choked and have now overflown with the first rains, making it difficult for the people to enter the market.”