the goan I network
PANAJI
With heavy rains lashing the coastal state of Goa, the Meteorological Department as well as Drishti Marine, the state lifeguard agency, have issued advisories instructing visitors to the beach not to venture into the sea during the next 48 hours. The Konkan Railway has also announced cancellation of five trains
According to the Met Department, heavy rainfall is expected to lash the state in the next 48 hours. The coastal belt will also witness fast currents and high waves on August 16 and 17. Citizens and tourists are advised to be cautious as rough weather and sea conditions will prevail during these days. The Met Dept has also cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea off Goa-Maharashtra coast and the open sea in the next two days.
Drishti especially cautioned adults to keep a very close eye on children while on the beach and not to allow children to venture into the waters unattended, no matter how shallow it may be. The Met Department has warned of the possibility of high waves between 4 meters to 4.5 meters, the sea currents varying between the speeds of 87cm/sec to 123 cm/sec in the next 48 hours. Drishti Marine advises tourists to avoid venturing into the sea for a swim or water based recreational activities.
Weather Bulletin for Farmers (for five days) valid until 8:30 am IST, August 20: Light to moderate rain/thundershower is very likely to occur at most places across the state during the next 5 days.
The usually vulnerable during monsoon Konkan Railway operations suffered its first disruptions this year when the Corporation announced on Thursday it had cancelled five trains following flash-floods in Kerala.
The spokesperson however did not say when these train services will be resumed even as the weatherman predicted the downpours to continue.
The difficult terrain which the Konkan Railway route meanders through along the Western Ghats makes the Corporation to grow extra cautious during the monsoon.
In 2003 and 2004 the railway line witnessed two big accidents which between them claimed over a 100 lives when trains jumped off tracks after bumping into huge boulders on the tracks following land-slips and slides.
