AFTERMATH OF THE DELUGE: An attendant attempts to salvage goods from the flooded Bardez Bazaar in the heart of Mapusa on Tuesday evening, following a heavy pre-monsoon downpour.
MAPUSA
A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday as a rider, clinging to his two-wheeler, was swept away by the forceful current of rainwater gushing down a main road at Khorlim in Mapusa.
The image, captured by onlookers, has now become symbolic of the chaos that engulfed Mapusa following a heavy pre-monsoon downpour.
Mapusa received 157 mm of rainfall in a single day – second only to Pernem’s 161 mm – making it one of the wettest areas in Goa during this unexpected pre-monsoon burst.
The town, unprepared for such a deluge, quickly descended into disarray.
The heavy downpour battered the town and overwhelmed its drainage systems, which residents and activists allege were left uncleared and choked, despite claims of pre-monsoon maintenance.
“It’s a complete failure of the system. The drains and nullahs were supposed to be cleaned weeks ago. What were the authorities doing?” questioned Sanjay Barde, a local activist.
“This is the result of negligence and mismanagement,” he added.
Several areas, including the busy Mapusa market, Khorlim, Ansabhat, Cunchelim and Peddem near the district hospital, were inundated.
In low-lying parts of town, roads turned into streams, leaving motorists stranded and forcing many to abandon their vehicles.
In some locations, water surged into homes and businesses. The Bardez Bazaar supermarket, a popular shopping destination, was submerged in ankle-deep water and forced to shut down temporarily.
Videos of water pouring into shops and homes circulated rapidly on social media, prompting calls for urgent accountability.
Mapusa Fire Services reported receiving four complaints of water entering houses in Karaswadda, Tarir and Khorlim, in addition to a minor landslide at Shetya-vaddo.
There were also reports of trees falling in at least five locations, including one incident where a tree fell onto a parked four-wheeler.
The flooding also brought into sharp focus the substandard execution of infrastructure projects. In several areas, roads dug up by the Public Works Department (PWD) were left with loose soil and debris, allowing rainwater to seep easily into homes.
Barbara Carrasco, a local councillor from Karaswadda, blamed the PWD directly. “The water entered homes in my ward because the roads were dug and mud was left uncleared near Vision Hospital. It’s unacceptable,” she said.
Mapusa’s Vice-Chairperson Prakash Bhivshet voiced frustration over the ongoing desilting works, revealing that 15 more days were needed to complete the task. He criticised the engineering section for its failure to supervise fieldwork adequately.
Other parts of Bardez taluka – including Saligao and Calangute – also experienced flooding, although no casualties were reported.
