The recent road flooding at Benaulim’s Western Bypass stretch has once again brought to light the absence of a detailed drainage strategy for the area, including the neighbouring Khareband region. This recurring issue has its roots in observations and recommendations made over a year ago, which have yet to be fully implemented.
In mid-July of the previous year, R K Pandey, an envoy for Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari, visited the area to assess the situation. Standing on the Khareband bridge, Pandey observed the Khareband-Benaulim floodplains and expressed dismay at the deteriorating state of the River Sal and its drainage issues. He raised a pertinent question: Why had the condition of the river been allowed to decline so significantly?
Pandey’s visit was not a mere formality. He had been sent to Goa with a specific mission: to investigate the causes of flooding and propose solutions. This visit was prompted by a request from Goa Forward Party (GFP) Chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai to Minister Gadkari, suggesting that the Benaulim Bypass be built on stilts. Although Pandey didn’t warm to the idea of a stilted bypass, he emphasized a crucial point: without de-silting the river and reinforcing its embankments, flooding in Benaulim would persist, regardless of how the Western Bypass was constructed along the Tolleaband stretch.
In August 2023, following his visit, Pandey proposed various measures to address the flooding along the River Sal floodplains at Benaulim. However, nearly a year later, these recommendations remain largely in the discussion phase, even as areas from Benaulim to Nuvem continue to suffer, remaining submerged for days during heavy rains.
The contrast in urgency is striking. While the Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highway authorities have been working round-the-clock to complete the bypass along the Benaulim stretch to meet the High Court’s September 2024 deadline, a similar sense of urgency has not been displayed in implementing Pandey’s recommendations on the ground.
This disparity in action has not gone unnoticed by the local population and their MLA as well opposition MLAs. In fact, in the previous assembly sessions, Benaulim’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Venzy Viegas had brought these issues to light and urged the government to drop the proposal of building the bypass by filling up the low-lying areas with mud embankments and to instead build it on stilts. Viegas had also pointed out that the rainfall and flooding data available with the Water Resources Department (WRD) was outdated and done with a mechanism that did not reveal the ground reality.
In the ongoing assembly session, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai grilled the government, demanding to know why Pandey’s advice had been ignored and why the River Sal and its tributaries had not been desilted. This line of questioning underscores the growing frustration among local leaders and residents alike, who see the government’s inaction as a direct cause of their ongoing flooding woes.
Residents of Benaulim have observed that since Pandey submitted his report to the PWD in August last year, the River Sal has neither been de-silted nor dredged. Moreover, the river’s embankments have not been strengthened with protective bundhs as recommended.
The only visible action has been minimal efforts like mechanical weeding, which falls far short of the comprehensive measures suggested by Pandey.
The villagers criticised the government’s approach, highlighting the lack of commitment to Pandey’s recommendations compared to the zeal shown in completing the bypass. They further urged the authorities to demonstrate tangible progress in restoring the River Sal and mitigating flooding.
“Pandey had made the recommendation to restore the River Sal and also help mitigate flooding. Let the government show what steps have been initiated to implement Pandey’s recommendations so far,” they added, echoing the frustration felt by many in the community.
One of Pandey’s key recommendations was the addition of culverts and the expansion of existing ones on the Benaulim-Varca road. This suggestion was aimed at facilitating better water drainage from the Tolleaband body to the River Sal. The recommendation was particularly noteworthy given the disparity in planned culverts: the PWD had initially planned only two culverts on this road, in stark contrast to the ten culverts planned for the 650-metre Western bypass stretch through Tolleaband.
In response to these recommendations, the PWD has begun constructing a new culvert near the Mercado shopping mall. However, the overall lack of planning and timely execution remains a significant concern. The efforts of the WRD to de-silt culverts have proven insufficient in managing the floodwaters resulting from heavy rains. Despite deploying heavy machinery to de-silt the culverts for quicker drainage of water from Tolleaband to the River Sal, these measures fell short in containing the floods caused by incessant and heavy rains over an extended period.
The flooding issue is further complicated by the phenomenon of reverse water flow and the inundation of water catchment areas along the floodplains of River Sal.
GFP Chief Sardesai had previously complained about reverse water flow at Mungul-Davondem and other areas and had blamed the faulty design of the bypass and also attributed the visible problems to the fact that the government had ignored the people’s demand for the bypass stretch in Benaulim to be on stilts.
In the days following his complaint, the situation deteriorated significantly, with large tracts of low-lying fields in Benaulim, Mungul, Seraulim, and Nuvem submerged under water.
These persistent issues with quick drainage and the potential impact of the Western Bypass construction on water backflow continue to raise questions about the effectiveness of flood management strategies in the region. Locals are increasingly vocal in their concerns, questioning why there’s no quick drainage of the floodwaters and whether the backflow of water is related to the construction of the western bypass or the debris lining along its alignment.
The situation came to a head once again last month in July, as flooding alongside the Western Bypass reignited concerns among local residents. This recurring issue, despite repeated incidents in recent years, has left citizens questioning why authorities have not heeded their longstanding demands for constructing the bypass on stilts instead of using embankments.
When this occurred last month, locals drew attention to the water-logged areas, pointing out flooded fields and inundated roads. They recalled the assurances given by the PWD regarding the adequacy of larger and additional culverts to manage water flow during the monsoon season. These promises, now seemingly unfulfilled, have left residents frustrated and seeking answers. Furthermore, they questioned the effectiveness of the district collector’s directives to implement preventive measures against such flooding situations.
Rudolf Barretto, who had been part of groups opposing the construction of the bypass through the water catchment areas of Benaulim, expressed his disappointment once more. “This is the outcome of not doing the Western Bypass on stilts in Benaulim. This happens when the Government believes in studies done on the desk rather than studying the ground realities,” he stated, encapsulating the frustration felt by many in the community.
Benaulim MLA Viegas added his voice to the chorus of disappointment in the ongoing Assembly session, lamenting that despite all the protests from the people and the evidence provided by government departments and a hydrologist about the dangers of building the bypass on embankments, the government had proceeded with its plans. The result, as Viegas pointed out, is now evident in the flooded fields.
The concerns raised by local representatives like Viegas are not new. Prior to the PWD filling up the low-lying fields to build the bypass stretch, the Benaulim Vodlem Tollem Cultivators had issued a stark warning to the government.
They cautioned, “Building the bypass on embankments will result in the destruction of the agricultural fields which also act as the catchment areas. The rich biodiversity, and the wetlands which are a habitat for migratory birds will be lost forever. Storm-water will enter our houses due to the blockage caused.”
This prescient warning now seems to have come true, with the very consequences they predicted unfolding before their eyes.
It may be recalled that in the previous seasons, when various government authorities had come to inspect the flooded fields, Pele Fernandes, a local fisherman, using his jet-ski and boats, navigated the flooded Tolleabandh to demonstrate the severity of the situation. He even assisted authorities in measuring the depth of the filled-up water-logged Tolleabandh, an area that is typically a low-lying dry zone. Fernandes’ actions not only highlighted the extent of the flooding but also raised questions about the government’s logic in their approach to the bypass construction.
Barretto and other concerned citizens had previously urged authorities to reconsider the construction method, advocating against filling the low-lying areas with mud embankments. Their pleas, along with those of local farmers who cultivate crops in these areas, were ultimately ignored in favor of the current design. This decision has had far-reaching consequences, affecting not only residential areas but also posing significant challenges for agricultural activities in the region.
The impact on agriculture cannot be overstated. Farmers, whose livelihoods depend on the cultivation of these low-lying fields, now face potential crop losses and economic hardships due to the recurring floods.
The flooding not only damages current crops but also affects soil quality and future planting seasons, creating a cycle of agricultural challenges that is difficult to break.
As the monsoon progresses, residents are calling for immediate action from local authorities to address the flooding and implement long-term solutions. They emphasise the need for taking into account the area’s natural drainage patterns and the impact on both residential and agricultural lands.
The community’s frustration is palpable, as they feel their local knowledge and environmental considerations have been overlooked, especially in areas affecting the flow of monsoon water into the sea.