Red alert: Goa fears rain of horror

Weatherman's warning haunts farmers; many yet to be compensated for 2019 flood losses

THE GOAN NETWORK | SEPTEMBER 22, 2020, 12:50 AM IST
Red alert: Goa fears rain of horror

PANAJI: While farmers across the country worry and agitate over the controversial legislations passed by Parliament related to the economics of their produce, a worry of a different kind is creasing the foreheads of Goa's own ryots - the weather.
Like last year, the incessant and heavy rains Goa got since Sunday night has brought back fear that like last year their kharif harvests could be ruined.
The weather bureau meanwhile upgraded its earlier 'orange' warning to red on Monday and has cautioned that extremely "heavy rainfall" over Goa may continue for more days.
The low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal and coastal Odisha is stated to be the cause, according to the Indian Meteorology Department. "Extremely Heavy Rainfall (Rainfall exceeding 20.5 cm in 24 hours) is very likely at one or two places over North and South Goa on  September 21. Very Heavy Rainfall (Rainfall exceeding 11.5 cm in 24 hours) is very likely over North and South Goa on 21st and 22nd September," states the IMD bulletin.
In the 24 hours ending Monday morning, the MET office has recorded heavy rainfall at five of its stations with Sanguem recording the highest - - 180 mm. Ponda got 134mm, Sanquelim received 131 mm while Valpoi and Quepem recorded an identical amount of 120 mm rainfall.
Meanwhile most of the farmers who lost nearly 100 percent of their standing kharif crop in the unprecedented flooding last year are yet to receive any compensation from the agriculture department and they are staring at the possibility of an encore.
Several farmers who had filed compensation claims told The Goan that officials typically raise technical lacunae in their claims.
When the localised floods hit several places last year, the government including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar, who holds the agriculture portfolio, had publicly assured compensation, tge farmers recalled.
"Turns out theirs were only crocodile tears," said a group of farmers who however did not want to be identified as their claims are still pending.
Meanwhile the IMD warning said localised flooding due to swelling of rivers can affect the vulnerable low-lying areas particularly in Bicholim and Pernem.
These two talukas were the worst hit in the 2019 flooding.
On the ground, partial disruption of normal life was reported in sporadic areas of the State on Monday. 


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