As Goa braces for the onset of the South-West monsoon, a critical civic task, which is pre-monsoon works, demands immediate attention. Key activities include desilting, cleaning drains and culverts, trimming trees, and clearing debris from urban and rural infrastructure. By its very meaning, pre-monsoon works are meant to be completed before the first showers arrive. Yet municipal bodies and panchayats across the state often fall short of this basic responsibility.
When drains are left clogged, even a moderate shower can cause waterlogging on roads, disrupting traffic, damaging property, and sometimes even leading to accidents. Alarmingly, it is observed that in several areas, drain-cleaning activities are conducted only after the monsoon has begun. April would be the ideal month to ensure all drains are cleaned before the heavy pre-monsoon showers that the month of May typically brings.
With the showers still a few weeks away, municipal authorities and panchayat bodies have a window of opportunity to carry out this essential work efficiently. Vasco city is witnessing massive road digging as new drainage pipes are being laid. Hopefully, the work will be completed before the pre-monsoon showers. Clearing drains on time is not just a routine task, it is a civic duty that guarantees the smooth functioning of our towns and cities. Hopefully, this year the works are completed before the rains arrive, so that citizens can enjoy a safer monsoon with no waterlogging on the roads.
