Flood submerges 2 Goa villages, Navy called in

PANAJI, JUNE 12: An unprecedented flood of River Valvanti in Bicholim taluka in north Goa saw the Indian Navy being used for the first tim...

PANAJI, JUNE 12: An unprecedented flood of River Valvanti in Bicholim taluka in north Goa saw the Indian Navy being used for the first time in Goan history for rescue operations. Helicopters have been put in action as hundreds of residents of Sankhali and Bicholim lay marooned after the River Valvanti began to flood after 3 am on Monday.

Goa has already experienced a total of 679 mm of rain in less than a fortnight after the South-western monsoons have hit this coastal state. Thus it can safely be concluded that one third of the total rainfall has already

been completed in less than a fortnight. Such downpour has already had its toll on the fragile network of city drains which have been found to be incapable of withstanding the pressures of land reclamation done by the thriving real estate lobby in the state. However this flooding in Bicholim can be inferred to be caused only due to environmental wrath.

Goa’s Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha accompanied by top officials of the state administration are presently camping in Bicholim and preliminary reports indicate that a loss of approximately one crore rupees has already been caused with around 30 houses having totally collapsed in the rain fury. Earlier River Valvanti has seen massive floods in 1937, 1958 and 1984. However, this floods have been the most destructive in comparison to the earlier instances. on Sunday’s rains of 140 mm are the most on any particular day this year.

This area that comprises the heart of the mining industry is a regular place for massive environmental violations perpetrated by the politically and financially powerful mining lobby. Several complaints by residents of the affected area and environmentalists have fallen on deaf ears and a report captioned, "Goa-awaiting the catastrophe" by a leading environmentalist in a local daily last year had even feared this particular area to be the likely place to have to face the nature’s wrath. However, negligence to take this fear seriosly has now made the innocent local population face this catastrophe.