Heavy rains lead to flooding in MANY parts of city

PANJIM: As heavy rain lashed the state on Wednesday, several areas in the state’s capital city were flooded, including St Mary’s Colony, Miramar, and some areas along Dayanand Bandodkar (DB) Road, at Campal.

Motorists had a tough time manoeuvring through the waterlogged areas of Panjim.

Tyres of several cars got trapped in open drains including surface drains along the DB road stretch between Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Campal to Miramar circle as the roads were totally underwater and the drains were not visible.   

Despite the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) recently carrying out rectification work, water was seen accumulating near Miramar circle along the road that leads towards Dona Paula. The road opposite the Old Post office was also water-logged.

Internal road stretches in Miramar including the St Mary’s Colony were flooded.  In some areas, water entered into residential complexes and houses.

A local resident claimed that water logging is taking place in areas near Stella Maris Chapel Miramar as one of the major storm water drains has not been desilted by the CCP for the last 13 years.

“As the civic body failed to desilt the drains, water from Miramar circle area is flowing along DB road and from there it enters our residential area. The issue of flooding will be resolved if the drains along DB road are opened and desilted properly by the CCP workers,” he said.

Former Mayor and senior-most councillor, Surendra Furtado said, “Flooding caused problems for people residing in St Mary’s Colony. My appeal is to construct new drains from Miramar Circle up to the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Campal, has fallen on deaf ears. When I was the City Mayor, I had initiated the process through PWD but the local MLA told me that the old drain will be desilted through Smart City works. Probably, the MLA did not like the idea that I got the estimate passed through the PWD and he must have thought that I would get the credit for the work. It’s been over three years now, you see the consequences, people continue to suffer.”

A senior official of the CCP claimed that some of the areas in Miramar gets flooded every year and added that the Corporation has invited tender for preparation of detailed project report to mitigate inundation/ flooding and urban planning in St Mary’s Colony, Lake View Colony, Miramar and surrounding areas.

“We are on the job to take flood mitigation measures forward. It will take some time but definitely it will be done,” the official claimed.