PANAJI: Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor Rohit Monserrate on Monday apologised to shopkeepers and residents affected by flooding in parts of the city, accepted responsibility for the inconvenience and assured that immediate repairs would be undertaken to prevent a recurrence.
"I want to apologise to all the shopkeepers. I know I had given my word, but we're working on it to make sure it gets resolved," Monserrate said after inspecting flood-hit areas.
Accepting responsibility, he added, "Wherever we have made a mistake, I want to apologise to the people. I accept responsibility. I'm not shying away from any of that. If anything can be done now, we will do it now itself."
Monserrate said the flooding was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and high tide, which restricted the discharge of stormwater into the river.
"There was a combination of high tide and heavy rain. During high tide, the outlet level gets blocked, and that is something I cannot control," he said.
However, he said officials had also discovered a possible obstruction in the city's drainage network near the Police Headquarters.
"When I inspected the site, I was informed that the Sewerage Department had constructed three chambers which have encroached on our drain. We are opening that stretch of road to check whether any damage has been caused to the drain. Once we inspect it, everything should be okay," he said.
The Mayor said the CCP had instructed its engineering staff to begin excavation work immediately.
"I have told my staff to start the work from tomorrow. Let them break open those sections of road, identify the issue, and whatever needs to be repaired will be repaired immediately before the road is reinstated. We don't want the same issue again," he said.
He noted that floodwater drained away within five to ten minutes after the rain stopped, indicating that the drainage system itself was largely functional.
"The moment it stopped raining, the water receded within five to ten minutes. There was no issue with the drain itself, but the chamber may have slowed the flow rate. We want to open it up and check," he said.
Referring to the flooding near Rego Bar, Monserrate said permanent repairs could only be carried out after the monsoon as the work requires the entire road to be excavated.
"The full road has to be broken to connect the drain. That cannot be done during the monsoon. Since it is not causing flooding inside shops at present, we will take it up after the rains," he said.
He also disclosed that a comprehensive drainage and road improvement project for Patto, estimated to cost between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore, had been delayed after the proposal was returned by the Finance Department.
"The proposal included correcting road levels, rebuilding footpaths, laying pavers and improving outlet levels. The file was returned by the Finance Department, and we are trying to get it approved again so the work can start immediately," he said.
Monserrate said three key roads consisting of 18th June Road, Dr Atmaram Borkar Road and Dr Pandurang Pissurlekar Road are scheduled to be upgraded under the Smart City Mission after the monsoon.
"These are temporary measures for now. Once the Smart City works begin, all the drains and road levels will be upgraded. Hopefully, there should be no issue after that," he said, adding that the project is expected to commence around September or October.
The Mayor said the CCP had already resolved flooding issues in several parts of Panaji through drainage improvement works.
"Ever since we took office, we have worked in every part of Panaji. Stella Maris used to flood earlier, but after opening up the road and improving the drainage, there were no issues there this year," he said.
He also appealed to residents to stop littering, saying plastic waste was contributing significantly to blocked drains.
"My staff cleans the drains every day, but plastic bottles and garbage end up clogging them. Even if only 10 or 20 per cent of people litter, it becomes a huge problem. The amount of waste collected every morning is horrible, and it eventually blocks the drainage system," he said.
Speaking about recurring flooding at Miramar Circle, Monserrate said sand accumulation and improper drain levels continue to pose challenges.
"Sand comes in and blocks all the drains, and the levels are also off. These are among the few remaining problem areas. We hope to resolve them by next year," he said.
He added that two major stormwater drain projects, from Divja Circle to Bal Bhavan and from Bal Bhavan to Miramar, are expected to be taken up under the Smart City Mission later this year after pending approvals.
Separately, Monserrate confirmed his intention to contest the next Assembly election but said the final decision would rest with the BJP leadership.
"I would like to contest from Taleigao because it was my mother's seat and she shared a very good relationship with the people there. I want to continue her legacy and complete the work she had started," he said.
However, he clarified that he would abide by the party's decision if asked to contest from another constituency.
"Ultimately, the party is supreme. If the party decides I should contest from Santa Cruz or any other seat, I will accept that decision," Monserrate said.
