Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Aug 6: As several parts of the state remained inundated, Goa government may declare holidays for schools on Wednesday, if the current spell of incessant rains continues in the state for another day, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday.

Sawant said that he would be meeting Education department officials later during the day who will be asked to check the monsoon forecast for Wednesday. “If similar situation is likely to continue, the education department will announce a holiday for primary and high schools in the state on Wednesday,” he said.

The chief minister on Tuesday morning inspected the low lying areas of Sankhalim, Amona in his assembly constituency and also Mala in Panaji assembly constituency where several houses have been flooded.

Chief minister’s Office said that Sawant also instructed the officers to rush to Radhanagari village on Goa-Karnataka border where eight buses with some passengers being students got stuck due to floods there.

“Teams have rushed with water and food for the passengers who have been stranded since last night there,” a CMO official said.

Sawant said that on Monday night, around ten people from Pilgaon village in North Goa were rescued. “I have asked all the concerned agencies including police to be on their toes and help out those who are affected due to flooding,” he said.

State water resources department minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues said that the water in the dams except the one at Anjunem in North Goa have not reached the danger level.

“The water level at Anjunem dam had reached its maximum limit following which we issued orange alert to the people living downstream and flood gates were opened,” he said.

On Monday, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued orange alert for the state forecasting that at several places heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in north and south Goa.

The fishermen were adviced not to venture into the Sea, though the state fisheries department has lifted the ban on fishing in the state from August 1 onwards. The department has predicted strong winds with speed reaching 45-50 kilometres per hour gusting to 65 kmph likely to prevail along and off Maharashtra-Goa coast during the next two days from Monday.