MAPUSA
As dark clouds loomed over Mapusa this week, they did more than just pour rain – they exposed the storm of negligence brewing within the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC).
What was supposed to be a test of preparedness turned into a damning indictment of an administration caught sleeping at the wheel. On Tuesday, a day of heavy pre-monsoon showers brought the bustling town of Mapusa to its knees. Streets turned into rivers, homes were flooded and businesses were left bailing out water and counting losses. But this wasn’t a natural disaster. It was a man-made crisis – a direct consequence of shoddy planning, non-existent drainage maintenance and a civic body that seems to have mastered the art of inaction.
The spectacle of plastic bags, bottles and rotting garbage floating through the main roads laid bare what residents have feared for years: the drains and nullahs meant to keep the town dry were never cleaned.
A roaring current of water cascading down the main road at the Usapkar junction in Khorlim served as visual proof that desilting of major nullahs was either ignored or poorly executed. This isn’t the first time Khorlim has gone under water during the rains. Yet, year after year, MMC officials and engineers demonstrate a staggering lack of foresight and an apparent unwillingness to solve a recurring crisis. That a known flood-prone zone remains unresolved is nothing short of administrative apathy. Residents have had enough.
“There is a total breakdown of the administration. People are left to suffer with no accountability. It’s like we’re at the mercy of God – ‘Ram Bharose’ governance,” slammed former chairperson and BJP leader Sandeep Falari in an uncharacteristically fierce outburst, taking direct aim at the BJP-led civic body.
Mapusa’s popular market, a hub for vendors and shoppers alike, was not spared. The Bardez Bazaar and other shops saw water invading shops and damaging goods. The town’s traders, many of whom depend on daily business to survive, were left devastated.
Ongoing road works added insult to injury – loose debris clogged water paths, worsening the flooding. “This is not just failure. This is negligence bordering on criminal. Every year it’s the same story – zero accountability, zero urgency. We’ve become prisoners of a failed system,” said Pandurang Sawant, a member of the Mapusa Merchants Association.
The question now isn’t just about compensation or repair – it’s whether this administration or any in the near future, will finally learn from these disasters. But as the rains continue and clouds of both weather and misgovernance hover over Mapusa, one thing is crystal clear: the MMC has failed its people. Monumentally. Blatantly. And unapologetically.
