To mitigate rain-related woes, early preparations are needed
The monsoons are here, at least going by the official word on it. Old-timers are more than a bit surprised by the strange behaviour of the weather in recent times. This year, the monsoon season set in as a continuation of the pre-monsoon showers. The pre-monsoon rain, accompanied by gusty winds, caused enough disruption. Now it’s time to look ahead.
Goa’s monsoons are no unexpected guests. While the precise timing and intensity may vary, we more or less know when to expect them and how to prepare. In this context, the difficulties being faced in coping with the monsoons in recent times are cause for concern.
Surely, there are more issues that need to be carefully addressed here. We need to take action on at least half a dozen diverse fronts—ranging from infrastructure and urban issues to public health concerns, environmental degradation, economic impact, transport and connectivity challenges, and governance and planning issues.
We recognise these problems when hit by them, but it’s easy to forget them after the season is over. Who has not faced waterlogging and urban flooding in Goa—an increasing problem in recent times? We might not connect this with the poor drainage situation in many areas and encroachments on natural waterways. Panaji, Margao, and recently Mapusa and Vasco are especially no strangers to this.
Pothole-ridden roads are even more endemic in the monsoons—more in some areas than others. This makes driving and riding a real risk, probably adding to our killer road crisis without us noticing it. Frequent power outages, falling trees, disruption in public transport (due to flooded roads and landslides), and weak bridges are other issues, felt especially in the more remote and often overlooked hinterland.
In the past, diseases like malaria caused immense worry during the monsoons. Even if this is not as acutely felt now, we can’t forget dengue, chikungunya, respiratory infections, skin infections, even leptospirosis (spread through water contaminated via animal urine), and eye infections. As if this wasn’t enough to fill the official plate of to-do tasks, environmental degradation makes things worse. Top on this list are landslides in hilly areas, deforestation and hill cutting, river and sea pollution, and Goa’s obviously inadequate solutions for waste management.
Given that ours is a region with considerable rainfall, this should be a top priority issue. Goa might not be among the wettest places on Earth, like Cherrapunji and Mawsynram (both in India, getting over 11,000 mm of rain each year). But Goa does experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall during the monsoon season (June to September). It receives significant rainfall compared globally. With its 2,500–3,500 mm each year during the monsoons, Goa gets more rain than Mumbai, about three times as much as New York, and a downpour comparable to that of the Amazon rainforest. Goa gets over twice Bangkok’s rainfall. Within Goa too, there are variations, with the Western Ghat regions—such as Sanguem, Sattari and Canacona—receiving heavier showers.
All this translates into economic impacts—on agriculture, and disruption for fishermen. Tourism arrivals also see a sharp drop, though ‘monsoon tourism’ has long been an intention here.
Citizens would not be unrealistic to expect the government to play a proactive, transparent role in tackling such issues. Early preparations matter. Besides, government organisations and even the civic bodies could explore ways of getting volunteers for quick response to eventualities.
