Team Goemkarponn
MANDREM:
Unseasonal cyclonic winds and heavy pre-monsoon showers battered parts of North Goa on Thursday afternoon, causing significant damage in Bhoomwada, Tuyem, and worsening waterlogging issues across Mandrem constituency.
According to officials from the Goa Fire and Emergency Services, gusty winds—described by residents as “cyclone-like”—ripped off rooftops of at least five to six houses in Bhoomwada, Tuem. Tin sheets were flung several metres away, damaging property and posing a serious safety hazard.
Teams from the fire station at Pernem rushed to the affected site to assist residents in securing loose debris and providing immediate relief materials. No injuries were reported at the time of filing this report, but several families have been forced to shift temporarily to neighbours’ homes as their houses remain uninhabitable.
“The winds came so suddenly. Within minutes, the sheets flew off. We could not save anything,” said Sandhya Naik, a resident whose kitchen roof collapsed during the squall.
Elsewhere in Mandrem, the situation was compounded by persistent water stagnation on the Harmal-Bhatwadi main road, which has been a chronic problem during monsoon spells.
Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar personally inspected the site on Thursday along with the Deputy Collector, officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), Water Resources Department (WRD), and panchayat representatives. JCB machinery was deployed to begin clearing the sludge and blocked drains.
Arolkar attributed the flooding to illegal encroachments on government land and obstruction of traditional waterways. “Despite High Court orders, there are encroachments here. Drainage has been blocked for years, which is why this flooding keeps happening,” he told reporters during the site visit. “We have mobilised all agencies—Dy Collector, PWD, WRD, and panchayat labour—to clear the road at the earliest,” he added.
Residents expressed cautious optimism that this time the intervention would be more lasting. “Every year, the road turns into a river and we can’t even step out to buy essentials,” said local shopkeeper Rajesh Shirodkar.
As visuals of waterlogged roads and damaged roofs circulated widely on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, netizens called for stronger enforcement against encroachments and better disaster preparedness measures.
District authorities have advised residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert as the IMD has predicted further spells of heavy rain with gusty winds over the coming days.
The taluka administration is assessing damage reports for compensation and relief distribution to affected families in Tuyem. Meanwhile, Fire Services have appealed to residents to secure loose roofing sheets and ensure electrical safety in rain-hit structures.
