Nearly 500 homes were damaged and a similar number of persons had to be rescued, as heavy rains for the eighth consecutive day, caused flooding in Goa's hinterland, especially villages located in the lower reaches of the Western Ghats mountains.
According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who conducted a tour of the flooded low-lying areas in the Bicholim sub-district in North Goa, while the exact losses have not finalised yet, the figure is estimated to be in several crores.
"Heavy rains have been witnessed in Goa over the last few days, which has led to areas like Sattari, Bicholim, Ponda, Dharbandora, Bardez and Pernem being majorly hit. Such flooding has not occurred in Goa since 1982," Sawant told a press conference at the state Secretariat on Friday.
Nearly 500 homes, most of them with mud walls, have been damaged in rural parts of Goa due to the heavy rains, which also caused the levels of local rivers to rise suddenly, he said.
The Chief Minister has also urged donors and NGOs to contribute to the efforts of the state in providing relief and rehabilitation of families and persons who have suffered losses due to the heavy rains and flooding.
The rescued villagers have been housed in temporary state shelters, which have been housed in primary schools in the affected ub districts.
"The level of the Valvonti river in Bicholim rose steeply and 160 houses were affected in the area. More than 40 people needed to be rescued using boats. In Sattari, the Mahadayi river also rose above the danger mark. 130 houses were majorly damaged and a bridge in Paikul was completely washed away, leading to the evacuation of more than 65 people," Sawant said.
The Chief Minister also said that one person, a woman, may have died after she was washed away in a torrent in the early hours of Friday.
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