Flood threatens Goa Sankhalim (Goa) (PTI): District administration warily eyed the Valvonti river swollen by the incessant rain as the residents here spent their entire night on the street fearing the worst.
Some hundreds of people had a sleepless night as the market remained inundated and shopkeepers making their last ditch efforts to save their belongings. Valvonti, a river running from Maharashtra to Goa, was swollen due to heavy rains upstream, leaving no time for the administration to act in this village located 50 kms away from the state capital. Many low lying parts of Goa are already under water with most of the rivers crossing danger mark. The flood can get worse, if rains continue for next two days, administration officials contended. In Sankhalim, the electricity department had snapped the power connection and huge lights mounted on trucks were stationed at crucial location to monitor the floods. "There is large scale deforestration in western ghat along Maharashtra border due to which the water rushes downstream at much faster pace," Vijaykumar Verenkar, Chairperson, Sankhalim municipal council, commented. The politician, who is also a teacher by profession, was standing throughout night on the street along with fellow villagers helplessly looking at the increasing water level. The town had 40 shops under water till mid night while there was a threat to 250 more. The village which inevitably witnesses the floods every year, has set up special siren in the main market, which is being played since last three days warning people of the flood. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200808111101.htm ~(^^)~ Avelino
