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Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Panaji: ill prepared for the monsoon
----------------------------------------------------
by Nandkumar Kamat
The south-west monsoon would be over Goa within the next
three weeks. Global weather forecasts have become very chaotic
due to the climate change. The example of the record 950 mm rainfall
in Mumbai and the deluge, which followed last year, has taught the
Indians a fitting lesson about the consequences of mismanaging the
drainage systems.
There is however no comparison of Mumbais Mithi river with Panajis
Mandovi. Panaji exists and survives solely because of the priceless
ecosystem services rendered by the Mandovi estuary. All the land at the
foot of Altinho belongs to the original flood plain of Mandovi estuary.
Therefore, when it receives heavy discharges it tries to recapture its
original flood plain. Combined with the high incoming tides, such a
situation leads to flooding.
There are engineers who dream of taming the Mandovi estuary.
Let them first prove that they would be able to keep the Kadamba
bus terminus and the areas around it dry this year. The normal drainage
of this area has been destroyed. The concrete drains have become silted
with no clear outlets to the estuary. A few unseasonal showers in March
provided a curtain raiser for the woes, which may be in store for the
citizens of Panaji during the coming rainy season.
They should promptly gear themselves for periods of unprecedented
flooding in the areas close to the Mandovi waterfront and in
Mala-
Fontainhas. The
work to lay the underground power and the optical
fibre cables has interfered with the drainage system. Everywhere in the
city, one can
see the impact of this excavation. So far, there are no attempts
to repair and restore the drainage works affected by these trenching
operations.
If the major drains near the Mandovi waterfront are not repaired within
the next three weeks then it would prove to be a memorable monsoon.
Every monsoon pours about two to eight million cubic metres of rainwater
over the city area. On a day of heavy rainfall the quantity could exceed
half a million cubic metres. A shower of just one centimetre intensity
per
hour drops about twenty thousand cubic metres of rainwater. But the
drainage planners of the city have forgotten the meteorological equations
and basics of fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics.
The storm water drainage system of the city is grossly inadequate to
deal
with showers of high intensity. This can be seen on the D B Bandodkar
Road, between the Campal Childrens Park and Bal Bhavan there are
very few cross drains below the road with extended discharge points
on the beach. The cross drains below the new seashore road from Miramar
circle to NIO circle have not been maintained.
It was a wrong idea of the previous government to dump the mud excavated
from the incomplete Mala lake project at the Campal parade grounds. The
parade ground as it existed below the road level acted as a buffer during
the rains. After bringing the level of the parade ground to match the
D B Bandodkar Road, adequate drainage was not provided. The displacement
of water from the parade ground now causes the flooding of the D B
Bandodkar
road. The natural open drain near the indoor stadium has been neglected
in
planning the drainage of the Campal-Miramar area. This drain is actually
an arm of the Santa Inez nullah. But the illegal encroachments have truncated
its old course and now it has been reduced to an ill-maintained drain. If
all
the drainage outlets from Miramar, La Campal Colony, Bal Bhavan and
Parade
Ground are connected to this creek then there would not be any stagnation
of water. This year the newly developed areas between Tonca and
Caranzalem
would witness flooding.
Old creeks and drainage channels which had been existing in this area,
as could be verified from the old maps of the Portuguese period, have
been
destroyed. A few which have escaped destruction have been truncated
and reclaimed. This is a result of permitting development without a
comprehensive
development plan (CDP) as required under the Town and Country Planning
Act,
1976.
Panaji is systematically losing the life support systems. There is hectic
activity in
Tambdi Mati and Bhatulem area to change the course of the existing nullah
which has source in the Nagalli Hills, Taleigao. How could constructions
be
permitted so close to a natural water course?
Nature would extract a very heavy price if such reckless development
continues
in the city of Panaji. There would not be any consolation for the
residents
of Mala-Fontainhas this year because the normal drainage of the area has
been
blocked by the land reclamation activity in the mangrove swamps near the
Neugi embankment. The Mala lake beautification project has turned into an
eyesore. A constant watch would have to be kept on the level of this
reservoir
during the monsoon because at high tide the water could spill over and
submerge
the nearby houses.
My biggest fear is of a major landslide at Altinho either behind
Lyceum/High
Court building, Boca da Vaca ward, below the Nirmala Institute and behind
the Government Polytechnic. The subsoil of Altinho is already loaded with
discharges from hundreds of soak pits. Heavy rainfall may cause slope
instabilities
on account of further loosening of the soil grains.
The Corporation would have to remain alert to such scenarios. It promptly
needs a good GIS (Geographical Information System) based drainage map
of the whole city. It has to take stern action to remove all the
encroachments
hindering and blocking natural watercourses. It cannot be held
responsible
for the damage done by the road digging operations. But it can prevail
upon these contractors to take immediate steps to repair and restore the
original drains.
NGOs in Panaji often debate the issues posto facto, or after the damage
is
already done. Why not activate public opinion on the issue of the
mandatory
pre-monsoon drainage maintenance work? It would pressurise and activate
the idling government machinery. We expect the local MLA to join hands
with the Corporation and the NGOs to find some prompt and practical
solutions before the monsoon becomes active. Bad drainage, flooding and
stagnation of water are invitation to epidemics like malaria, hepatitis,
dysentry
and gastroenteritis.
Panaji, despite the Chaka Chak sloganeering, is slowly following the
footsteps
of the city of Old Goa. Monsoon in Panaji would be enjoyable only when
were not forced to walk or drive through the flooded streets. By area
and
population, Panaji is a small city. Its economic prosperity and brand
identity
would depend on how best it manages simple tasks such as the drainage
management. Unfortunately monsoon this year may prove that countdown
for the citys decay might have already begun.
----------------------------------------
The Navhind
Times 15/05/06 page 10
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