MARGAO
Blame it on filling up of water-catchment areas or simply the rain gods, overnight incessant heavy rains threw life out of gear near the Nehru stadium and Bolshe circle in Fatorda, besides Arlem-Raia and Rawanfond as flooding of the vital roads, especially around the traffic junctions, disrupted movement of vehicular traffic on Friday morning.
The entrance to the Presentation Convent road adjoining the district hospital under construction was fond submerged due to a clogged drain. The situation returned to normal around noon after the rains subsided.
Flooding of Bolshe, Arlem-Raia and Rawanfond junctions and the area near the Nehru stadium have thrown up questions whether the flooding was due to the disappearance of catchment areas over the years. The Bolshe junction and the area in close vicinity, right up to the Chowgule college were all submerged in the flood water.
Making matters worse for the motorists stranded in the flooding was the flow of leachate water from Sonsodo which got mixed with the rain water at the Bolshe circle.
A couple of vehicles were stranded at the Arlem-Raia junction as rain water started gushing towards the circle from the chapel side, inundating the entire area, including the Goa bottling compound. Residents of the locality have claimed that water entered the compounds and entrance to the houses situated on the Raia side of the Arlem junction. Local residents of Arlem-Raia have attributed the flooding to the failure of the authorities to desilt the drains carrying rain water flowing down from the hillock.
What caught many a resident of Fatorda as well as motorists by surprise was the flooding of the Nehru stadium road near the Lord Damodar Linga. The entire road was submerged under water prompting the residents to seek answers on whether it was on account of the ongoing road-widening works or the filling up of catchment areas in the locality.
The Old Market area of the city near the court building was inundated with water as usual, raising questions why the authorities have failed to rectify the situation when flooding has been a perennial problem at the place.
Similarly, water-logging at the Rawanfond junction, especially on the road leading to the station, was rampant, with the authorities attributing it to the obstruction in the water nullah carrying running into river Sal rivulet. In the evening, a JCB machine was deployed at Mandopa-Navelim to clear tonnes of waste which had clogged the water channel.
Water accumulation also affected movement of vehicular traffic on the ESI hospital road. Meanwhile, the Margao fire brigade informed that they received five calls pertaining to uprooted trees at Velim, Sinquetim-Navelim, near the TB Hospital atop Monte Hill. A mango tree came crashing down on a house at Loutolim.
