MAPUSA
A heavy 30-minute spell of rain on Sunday evening was enough to flood parts of Mapusa once again, exposing the town’s long-standing flooding hotspots and raising questions about the Mapusa Municipal Council’s pre-monsoon preparations.
The sudden downpour left several roads waterlogged, disrupted traffic and caused inconvenience to pedestrians, even though many of the affected areas have a history of flooding during the monsoon.
Among the worst-hit locations were a lane inside the Mapusa Municipal Market, where rainwater collected quickly, and the road near St Jerome Church, where water flowed down the steps leading to St Sebastian Vaddo before spilling onto the main road and affecting traffic. The road near Syndicate Bank, one of the busiest stretches in town, also remained under water for some time.
The flooding has once again raised concerns among residents, who say the same areas continue to be affected every monsoon despite annual desilting and drain-cleaning work.
“These are not new problem areas. Every monsoon we see the same places getting flooded. If the authorities already know where water collects, why aren’t permanent solutions being put in place instead of temporary clean-up drives?” asked Mahesh Naik, president of Together for Mapusa.
The incident has also brought attention to the special monsoon task force announced by the Mapusa Municipal Council before the rainy season.
The council had said the team would respond quickly to flooding, fallen trees and other rain-related emergencies to reduce inconvenience to the public.
However, residents said there was little sign of a rapid response on Sunday evening.
“The task force was announced with much publicity, but when people needed immediate help, there was hardly any visible presence. It raises questions about whether the system is working as intended,” said a shopkeeper in the market area.
Residents also said the civic body should take preventive measures instead of responding only after flooding occurs.
A senior MMC official said the drainage system had been overwhelmed by the intense rainfall over a short period.
“The rainfall was very heavy within a short time, which caused temporary waterlogging at a few locations. We will review the vulnerable areas and identify additional measures to improve stormwater drainage,” the official said.
For residents, Sunday’s flooding was another reminder that despite repeated assurances and annual pre-monsoon preparations, Mapusa continues to face the same monsoon problems.
Drain design, not just desilting, key to preventing floods: Ex-engineer
MAPUSA: A retired municipal engineer who once headed the Mapusa Municipal Council’s engineering wing has said that pre-monsoon desilting alone cannot prevent flooding unless weaknesses in the drainage system are addressed. He said one of the main problems is in the municipal market, where storm-water drains are completely covered with concrete slabs. “There are very few openings or gratings to allow excess rainwater to flow into the drains during heavy showers. As a result, water collects on the surface, causing flooding even when the drains below are clean,” he said.
He also pointed out that the first heavy monsoon showers carry large amounts of mud, leaves and other debris into the drainage system. This quickly blocks drain inlets and restricts the flow of storm water despite pre-monsoon cleaning. “The answer is not just annual desilting. Civic staff should regularly monitor flood-prone areas during the monsoon and clear blocked drain inlets immediately after every heavy spell of rain,” he said. He added that regular maintenance, better-designed drain covers and improvements to the storm-water drainage network are essential to reduce recurring flooding in the town.
