the goan I network
PANAJI
A 25-year-old youth from Valpoi was confirmed dead and another person from Caranzalem was said to be missing, swept away with his car on the Karnataka side of the Chorla Ghat as the fury of the weather gods continued raining on Goa Thursday.
Homes were flooded, communication disrupted, supplies of essentials cut off and residents were left battling flood waters in at least a dozen locations across the State.
Dozens of distress calls came in from various parts of the State stretching the State administration beyond limits.
Personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services and Dhristi evacuated hundreds people trapped and cut-off by the flooding in Camurlim, Revora, Pernem, Usgao and some other areas in North Goa throughout the day.
On the outskirts of Panaji, the collapse of a compound wall in the Aldeia de Goa housing project damaged an internal road, trapping a car and triggering panic among residents of the upscale gated colony. Personnel of the Fire Services removed the trapped car using a crane.
Meanwhile, mischief mongers had a field day circulating fake messages on social media platforms. Fake messages suggesting a cyclone in the Arabian sea moving parallel to the Goa coast, supplies exhausting and fuel pumps going to shut for three days were among several that had gone viral through the day. On Wednesday late evening a netizen had played truant by circulating an order of the Department of Education order declaring holiday on Thursday by manipulating the Tuesday order which had declared Wednesday a holiday for schools and colleges.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has warned that severe action will be taken against those circulating fake messages and directed the police to track down the originators.
The Indian Met Department meanwhile has clarified that no cyclone exists in the Arabian sea as of now.
IMD said, what is existing in the Arabian sea, off Kerala coast is a cyclonic circulation between 7.6 km and 9.5 km heights above mean sea level.
“Cyclonic circulation and cyclone is not the same. They are two different weather features,” it said.
The Met Department also said moderate to heavy rainfall occurred on Thursday and Valpoi as usual received the maximum at 10 centimeters. Ponda and Sanguem talukas came next with nine centimeters and Sanquelim got seven centimeters of rain.
The rainfall recorded in other areas was: Quepem (6 cm), Dabolim, Panaji and Ela (Old Goa) (5 cms each), Margao and Mormugao (4 cms each) and Canacona (2 cms).
It added that moderate rainfall is very likely to occur over North and South Goa on August 9, while light to moderate rainfall is very likely at most places on August 10, 11 & 12.
Strong winds reaching 45-55 kilometers per hour gusting to 65 kilometers per hour are likely to prevail along and off the Maharashtra-Goa coast during the next four days till August 11, it said and warned fishermen not to venture out to sea.
