Rupesh Samant

Porvorim, Aug 8: While several villages in the state’s Bardez, Pernem and Bicholim talukas in north Goa continued reeling under floods, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said that high alert has been issued on the coast, banning people from venturing into the sea.

Sawant told reporters on Thursday that the villages in Bardez, Pernem and Bicholim got flooded after water from Tillari irrigation project was released due to heavy rains in the catchment areas of Maharashtra.

The dam is located on Goa-Maharashtra border in north district. Sawant said that the water resources department chief engineer is in touch with officials manning Tillari dam to get firsthand information on release of water.

He said that the village of Sal in Bicholim taluka was worst affected as several houses were inundated with water. “The villagers are rescued by the disaster management officials,” he said.

The chief minister said that high alert has been issued along the coast banning the people including tourists from venturing into the sea.

“The rains will continue for another two to three days, so we appeal to the people to avoid venturing into the sea,” he said.

Indian Meteorological Department in its advisory on Wednesday has asked fishermen to stay away from the sea while predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state for the next two days.