https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VAAzYVUKXI
The incessant rains over the last three days have left a trail of destruction and damage across Goa and also claimed the first human victim of this monsoon season. Reports reaching here said a man washed away and feared dead at Mandrem. Exact details of how he got washed away and dragged to his watery grave are awaited. In Panjim and the habitations on the capital city's periphery, including the fast urbanising Taleigao and St Cruz villages, several neighbourhoods were reeling under knee-deep flood waters on Saturday morning and afternoon. Although there are no reports of any human casualties other than the Mandrem case, life was completely disrupted for hundreds of residents of Camrabhat area of Taleigao where flood waters have invaded houses and ground floor flats in various buildings. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar along with state administration officials visited the affected areas and issued instructions to make arrangements of food packets and other relief material to the affected persons. Although the floods can be blamed on the unususally high rainfall witnessed over the last 2-3 days, infuriated residents of the Camrabhat area, mostly employees of the Corporation of the City of Panjim, alleged that the drains were not adequately desilted during the pre-monsoon drive. The residents also said that filling up of fields and the mushrooming of concrete structures in areas which otherwised served as natural water retaining reservoirs, is also to blame for the flooding of residential areas. Meanwhile, even as reports of flooding of roads and homes were coming in thick and fast, there was no sign of any rescue and remedial action by the much touted disaster management apparatus of the district administration. Parrikar was livid with the situation and hinted he would disband the disaster management committee and re-constitute it. Reports of minor landslides destroying property along the foothill of Altinho have also come in. In Tonca-St Inez, a retaining wall gave way and mud slid into the D'Silva household causing some damage. In several other locations in St Inez and St Cruz, water was flowing at knee-deep levels across internal roads and on pathways residents normally use on a daily basis. At St Inez, the creek was swollen and water spilled over to the streets and surrounding areas. There are also reports of landslides, flooding of low-lying areas and trees collapsing on houses from almost every taluka in Goa. In Vasco, a minor landslide in Sada has left at least two homes periliously close to collapse. The occupants have been evacuated after the Deputy Collector visited the area. Meanwhile, the weather office is predicting more heavy rains over the next 48 hours. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VAAzYVUKXI -- P +91-832-2409490 M +91-9822122436 W http://goa1556.in T @fn on Twitter R Saligao, Goa, India Stay in touch. I reply email.