Team Herald
MARGAO: With the monsoon season just a month away, villagers across Salcete have issued a stern warning to the authorities to expedite the pending pre-monsoon works. The villagers are demanding that all the panchayats in the region complete their tasks before the rains arrive to prevent the perennial issue of water logging and flood-related problems.
Residents have expressed deep concerns about the water logging problems that are common in the area during heavy rains. Even with a small amount of rainfall on Tuesday morning, some households in the taluka reported water entering their compounds.
While some of the local panchayats have started cutting branches and trees, there is a growing demand for water drains and nullahs to be cleaned immediately. The villagers have urged the Block Development Officers (BDOs) and PWD to clear all the files related to pre-monsoon works of the village panchayats so that they can be completed before June.
In the past, pre-monsoon works have started late and been completed in the middle of the monsoon period, causing water logging issues. The villagers are insisting that the authorities take immediate action to avoid a repeat of previous years’ problems.
The ongoing desilting of River Sal by the Water Resources Department (WRD) has also raised fears of flooding. Villagers believe the work has been done in a haphazard manner, with a lot of silt dumped by the river banks, blocking the natural flow of water. The Western Bypass expansion work has also caused concerns as low-lying areas have been filled with mud, altering the natural alignment for the flow of water.
While PWD officials claim that the recently installed culverts will prevent potential flooding, villagers remain unconvinced, citing concerns over the death of traditional water catchment areas leading to water logging.
