MAPUSA
Just ten minutes of heavy rainfall are enough to inundate the crucial road near the Sai Baba temple in Cunchelim, Mapusa, causing significant disruption for motorists and local residents.
On Sunday, a 500-metre stretch of this key road was flooded, leaving motorists to navigate knee-deep water.
The primary cause of the flooding is the lack of proper drainage in the area. Locals also attribute the issue to a construction project that has blocked an age-old drain, exacerbating the accumulation of water on the road. “This has become an annual affair. Just a few minutes of heavy rain lead to flooding of the road with knee-deep water. The government and the Mapusa municipality have to do a course correction so that the water gets drained out properly,” said Suresh Naik, a resident of Cunchelim.
Naik also mentioned that the flooding often causes water to flow into residents’ compounds, further aggravating the situation. Despite being informed about the rainwater problem, civic authorities have either shifted responsibility or ignored the issue, leaving residents and commuters to deal with the consequences of poor infrastructure and urban development.
The crucial Cunchelim road has become very busy because it is a shorter route to the sand village of Camurlim and the coastal village of Siolim-Sodiem, which further leads to popular beach destinations of Anjuna and Morjim.
The road was earlier mainly used by trucks transporting sand. But with the start of Mopa airport, the load of traffic has risen manifold on the road as tourist taxis find this route shorter and convenient instead of entering the main Mapusa town.
Local councillor Anand Bhaidkar acknowledged that the road gets flooded due to inadequate passage for water to drain out. “I have complained to the Mapusa municipality about the problem but so far, the civic authorities have failed to come out with a concrete plan. Since it’s a major district road (MDR), I will write to the PWD to look into the issue,” Bhaidkar said.
