PANAJI
Incessant rains continued to lash Goa on the second consecutive day on Wednesday throwing normal life out of gear in places that witnessed waterlogging.
The two days of heavy rainfall have raised the levels in the dams to a significant level (see box) and these are brimming with water and are close to overflowing.
In Panaji, the rains over the last few days took a toll on a Portuguese-era ground-plus-one house in the heart of the capital city near Geeta Bakery. A portion of the traditional mud-chunna-jaggery mortar edifice collapsed around noon on Wednesday.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries to anyone in the incident.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and police authorities cordoned off the area and cleared the debris. CCP mayor Rohit Monserrate visited the site.
The property belongs to the prominent Monte Cristo Vaz family of Panaji and has multiple tenants, including the prominent Dempo group of companies.
There were verbal clashes between a couple of the tenants and officials from CCP and the police when the fire services personnel along with heavy machinery were brought to the site and they went ahead demolishing the un-collapsed portion of the edifice ostensibly under the pretext of ‘public safety’.
Panaji police station sources said a complaint against the demolition of the entire edifice has been submitted on behalf of the owner-family.
Meanwhile, the IMD said there is a probability of heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places across the State on Thursday and also till July 17. The same prediction continues for July 17 too.
