The flooded road at Agonda.
CANACONA
Incessant rains on Sunday, which led to waterlogging and floods, brought back painful memories of the 2009 Canacona floods, leaving many worried residents residing along the river banks and low-lying areas until the floods and rains subsided late Monday morning.
The floods damaged agriculture, cultivations, and plantations in several parts of Gaondongrim, Khotigao, Shristhal, Agonda, and Loliem.
Electricity Department Assistant Engineer Govind Bhat said around 18 electricity poles in Karmalghat, Palolem, and Loliem areas were broken, and other electrical goods were damaged. The AE pegged the losses at over Rs 25 lakh.
With agricultural losses estimated at about Rs 25-30 lakh, the heavy rains on Sunday are estimated to have caused property losses of over Rs 50 lakh.
On Sunday midnight, water became clogged near the compound of the Canacona Deputy Collectorate, and floodwater flowed over the NH66 road extending near the Canacona post office. By the time the floodwater receded, one side of the compound wall at the Deputy Collectorate was destroyed.
At Nagarcem, as the pipes under the NH66 culvert became choked, water began to flow over the national highway.
On Monday evening, Ward Councillor Hemant Kumar, along with PWD officials, sought the services of a JCB to open the clogged drain, partly opening up the NH road. Canacona Dy. Collector Madhu Narvekar and a team came to oversee the restoration works.
At Agonda, people going to church early morning were in for a big surprise as a road was flooded, making it impossible to cross. People were forced to stay indoors.
A portion of the Khotigao road that caved in on Sunday was repaired on Monday after the Disaster Management Team (DMT) worked tirelessly, bringing and emptying boulders and mud with the help of tipper trucks and JCBs working late into the night.
“The normal traffic has resumed but with precautions, as the restoration of the road is only temporary. We have stationed policemen at the site, and police will continue to guard the traffic flow with care and restraint over the repaired road at Avem,” informed Canacona Dy. Collector Madhu Narvekar.
Narvekar told The Goan that the situation in Canacona is under control.
“Most of the disaster areas, including the Avem-Khotigao road, the Kudewada-Gaondongrim road, and the floodgate block on NH66 at Nagarcem, have been attended to, and everything is under control,” said Narvekar.
