PANAJI
As forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department, Goa on Friday was pounded by heavy rains which triggered chaotic scenes across the State as roads were flooded, trees uprooted and damage to houses reported in several places.
South Goa was worst affected even as minor water-logging incidents occurred in sporadic areas of North Goa.
The recently replaced roof of a government primary school at Chinchinim blew away in the morning while water entered houses at Old Market Margao, Cuncolim and Ravanfond railway station.
Several major roads in low-lying areas across the State were also inundated for hours giving a hard time to motorists and pedestrians as well. Some internal roads and low-lying fields in Guirim were submerged under water even as there were reports of roads in Quepem, Davkon-Nirankal inundated with water.
Many cases of disruption of power supply due to trees falling on conductors and overhead cables were also reported, the office of Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes said.
There were incidents of a couple of tree falls but no major loss to life or property was reported from any part of the taluka.
Heavy rains are expected to continue on Saturday and Sunday keeping the disaster management teams in both the districts besides personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services and other related departments on their toes.
The District Magistrate North has put people residing along the banks of River Chapora in Pernem, Bicholim and Bardez talukas on alert after there was an increase in water in the Tillari reservoir.
The alert was issued as a precautionary measure in view of Red Alert sounded by IMD.
Officials of State Disaster Management Authority along with WRD department are monitoring the situation while Maharashtra officials were also put on alert over the situation at the Tillari reservoir.
Although the Tillari dam authorities have released water into the Tillari river basin, so far, there has been no impact on villages located around the Chapora river in Bardez.
The Selaulim dam also began overflowing from the duckbill spillway at its crest Friday morning.
Last year, water began overflowing from the dam on July 14, while in 2020 the date of overflow was July 9. The dam’s full reservoir level is 41.15m, whereas its current level is 41 m.
