Goa rains: 8 buses stranded on border with Karnataka; low-lying areas flooded after heavy downpour across state

Panaji: Several low-lying areas of Goa were inundated on Tuesday and eight passenger buses were stranded on the border with Karnataka due to incessant rains in the state, officials said. The coastal state has been receiving heavy showers for the last one week, throwing normal life out of gear. [caption id=“attachment_7117961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant. Twitter @ANI[/caption] Around eight buses carrying several passengers, including students, were stuck on the Goa-Karnataka border since Monday night due to flooding in the area after heavy rains, an official in the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) said. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant instructed the officials concerned to rush to Radhanagari village on the state border with Karnataka to rescue the stranded passengers, he said. “Our teams have rushed to the spot with water and food for the stranded passengers”, the official added. Earlier, around 10 people stranded at their water-logged homes in Pilgaon village of North Goa district were rescued by personnel of the disaster management department on Monday night, another state government official said. Besides, several families were evacuated from some villages in Bicholim taluka where homes were inundated following the heavy downpour, he said. In the morning, Sawant conducted an inspection of some flooded villages in low-lying areas of North Goa and parts of the state capital Panaji to assess the situation. The chief minister said he would be meeting officials of the education department later in the day to check the monsoon forecast for Wednesday. “If a similar situation is likely to continue, the education department will announce a holiday for primary and secondary schools in the state on Wednesday”, he told reporters. “I have asked personnel of all the agencies concerned, including police, to be on their toes and help those who are affected due to flooding”, he said. Heavy rains have been lashing the coastal state for last seven days, causing flooding in some low-lying areas and forcing several families to shift out of their water-logged homes in some villages. State water resources department minister Filipe NeriRodrigues said the water level of Anjunem dam in North Goa has reached its maximum storage limit. “In view of this, we have issued an ‘orange alert’ in the area, asking people living downstream to be prepared for any situation, and the flood gates have been opened”, he said. The Mandovi river in the state crossed the danger mark on Monday night, causing flooding in some villages of Sattari taluka in North Goa, another official said. Besides, Sonan village in Sattari was cut-off from other parts of the district after heavy downpour in the area, he added. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in both North Goa and South Goa districts in next 24 hours and issued an ‘orange alert’. It has predicted strong winds with speed reaching 45 to 50 kilometres per hour and gusting up to 65 kilometres per hour along the Maharashtra-Goa coast. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to the rough weather, though the fisheries department lifted the ban on fishing in the state from 1 August.