Water, water everywhere. We are not referring to the famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but describing the all too familiar scenes on Goa’s roads, post showers, be they heavy or not.
This has been a regular watery scene in the last couple years, and now, with the excessive rainfall that Goa has experienced, I can’t say for sure if the sea is on the road or I am in the sea!
If you have been keeping track of the rain that Goa received in the past few months, you will notice the significant rise in water levels in Goa, and in its reservoirs.
Local news publications reported that nearly all the dams across the State now hold between 90 to 100 percent of their total capacity.
The Pernem fish market whose poor infrastructure was highlighted following just a couple of hours of rain, causing problems for the local vendors, who had to conduct their daily sales in the submerged market area.
Having spent most of my life in this beautiful coastal State, this is the first time I am witnessing floods of this nature, and it seems so unusual for the picture is pretty messy, clogged and watery.
Many locations in Goa have been facing major flood situations. For instance, the Pernem fish market whose poor infrastructure was highlighted following just a couple of hours of rain, causing problems for the local vendors, who had to conduct their daily sales in the submerged market area.
Ponda is another area from where you often hear stories of landslides and floods.
Coming to the capital, Panjim, the story is the same. It would be a miracle if you did manage to enter the city without get half wet! All roads leading into the capital are either full of potholes that are filled with water or entirely flooded.
Travelling to work regularly can be a hassle, and if the construction of the bridge wasn’t enough of an obstacle, the floods and potholes are an add-on.
Having lived in Goa all my life, never have I heard my parents or grandparents talk about floods in Goa, the kind I witness now. In the olden days, people could differentiate between the sea and the roads, now it’s just a mess.
Why even take a bike when I could just consider getting a kayak or a canoe to work instead?
There are days when the Mandovi bridge gets flooded and you can spend a good half hour to get from one end to the other. And, on finally reaching the not-so-smart city, you find even more water. Why even take a bike when I could just consider getting a kayak or a canoe to work instead?
These are just a few locations in the State from among the many places that are suffering due to poor planning. The water accumulation has affected not only travelling, but also life in general.
Places like the South Goa District hospital, where people come to get treated, is now facing the same issues with people wondering how to enter the hospital due to the waterlogging in front of the entrance.
People, time and again have raised the issue of flooding, but just like the floods, their concerns remain stagnant.
Goa is developing every year, but where is the proper planning of something as simple as drainage systems or methods to ensure that there is easy flow of traffic and no floods?
What is the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation really doing? Or, is this their plan?
We have to agree that the monsoon is what is naturally going to occur in the State, but how is the State preparing for it, and what measures is the government taking to ensure people can reach their destinations without thinking they need boats to travel instead of vehicles?
Whichever is the department in the government that is responsible for solving these issues, it needs to take simple steps to allow an easy flow of life in Goa, and not cause clogs and floods.