Goa sees its worst floods in decades as 400 evacuated, property worth crores damaged

Panaji: Goa on Friday was hit by intense rainfall and its worst floods in decades that submerged roads and bridges, damaged homes and property worth crores, and forced the evacuation of more than 400 people. Two trains were also derailed by a landslide and an overflowing river.

The India Meteorological Department had initially issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall on Thursday and an orange alert for Friday. By Friday afternoon, however, IMD upgraded the alert to red. It forecast heavy rainfall for the next three days.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the state was seeing flooding of this magnitude for the first time. No casualty was reported despite the vast destruction, he said, but added that a woman was suspected to have drowned in Dharbandora in South Goa.

“There has been a massive flood in Goa. It is like never before. There has been large-scale damage to people’s homes and agricultural land,” Sawant said on Friday.

Later on Friday evening, Sawant wrote in a tweet that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “called to inquire about the safety and well-being of the people in the prevailing flooding situation in Goa due incessant rains”. The PM has assured full support and assistance to the state, Sawant wrote.

Flooding was reported in rivers across the state including the Mhadei (Mandovi), Chapora, Dudhsagar, Khandepar and Valvanti. Several villages across five talukas were affected by the flood waters — Sattari and Bicholim in North Goa and Dharbandora in South Goa were the worst-hit.

“Many people had to be evacuated because of the flooding. We have taken the help of the Navy and the port authorities too. We had to rescue some people using rescue boats. Our teams have been working since last night to move people to safety. The (400) evacuated people from the five talukas have been housed in government primary schools and we have made arrangements for their accommodation and food,” Sawant said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reviews the flood situation in Bicholim taluka in North Goa on Friday morning | Express photo

The Chief Minister, who visited various flooded areas on Friday morning, said the damage to property has been worth crores of rupees and people have lost their homes. “The market in Usgaon is submerged. This kind of flooding was not even seen in 1982 (the last major flood in the state).” Nearly 700 homes in the state had been damaged, government officials said.

About 21 villages in Sattari taluka were flooded after incessant rain battered the areas. Goa Health Minister and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane, who also visited the inundated parts of Sattari, said in a post on social media on Friday: “Directions have been issued to the Collectors to have the District Management team stationed at Sattari and Usgaon. Water has entered their houses causing a lot of damage…”

He also stated that after a discussion with Sawant, directions had been issued for the repair of bridges in Paikul, Pelavade, Ghoteli and other areas in Sattari where bridges had collapsed.

The State Directorate of Fire Services and Emergency Services that moved several people to safety in the inundated villages of Sattari through boats also reported that 30-40 cows from a Gaushala in the Nanus village of Sattari were missing after the shelter was submerged.

The state Public Works Department said on Friday that the “unprecedented flooding of Khandepar river” had led to the submergence of pumping stations at Opa water works that would restrict the water supply to the talukas of Ponda and Tiswadi including defence establishments, industrial establishments and the Goa Medical College from Saturday to Monday.