MAPUSA: The Mapusa Municipal Council has recently started desilting and cleaning work of all drains/gutters in the market as a part of its pre-monsoon preparations.
The desilting exercise which began from March 1 in the municipal market area is later expected to cover various other wards as civic staff and contracted workers have been engaged to desilt and clear the drains in all the wards of the town.
The civic body is expected to complete cleaning of all drainage lines, nullahs and culverts by the end of May.
Southwest monsoon usually hits the State by the end of May or early June.
“We have kick-started pre-monsoon works from the municipal market. Most of the work of cleaning the drains is carried out late in the night for the sake of convenience. Gradually, we will start clearing the drains in the wards,” informed Prashant Narvekar, Municipal Engineer-II.
The civic body has also written to the water resources department to undertake de-silting work of major nullahs in town while also requesting the PWD to clean major drains and cross drains along the major district roads.
The major nullahs originating from Khorlim, Dattawadi, Ansabhat and other parts of the town finally meets the River Tar and hence the river becomes the main source for discharge of rainwater and also serves as a catchment area.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), which is constructing a new bridge across the River Tar, has built a temporary piped-road across the river to facilitate traffic movement.
The piped-road will have to be cleared before the onset of the monsoon or else it could result in flooding of major areas in Mapusa.
But the GSIDC authorities have assured that the new bridge is expected to be completed latest by April end and thereafter the piped-road access across the river would be cleared.
The Mapusa Municipal Council had overhauled all the major drains in the market in 2020 by taking advantage of the Covid induced lockdown.
All the slabs covering various drains were opened, choked drains were cleared and those broken were repaired.
The massive exercise had ensured that for the first time after many years Mapusa market did not experience any flooding despite the heavy rains.
