Panaji civic body initiates pre-monsoon works

Panaji: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has begun pre-monsoon cleaning, including clearing drains and gutters and trimming trees with its regular workforce. A senior official said that CCP plans to hire temporary workers through contractors for three months to assist with pre-monsoon activities, spending lakhs of rupees.

“The first round of pre-monsoon work has commenced, and we are focusing on two wards at a time under the strict supervision of senior CCP officials,” the official said.

The official said that once the supplementary workforce is in place, they will prioritise areas that experienced minor flooding last monsoon.

The CCP has requested the water resources department (WRD) and the Captain of Ports to desilt the Mandovi river bank and Rua de Ourem creek to prevent flooding in central Panaji, Neugi Nagar, and Patto.

The official said the corporation will coordinate with WRD to prevent Mandovi river water from entering storm drains during high tide. He added that the pre-monsoon work in central Panaji will be undertaken later due to ongoing smart city projects.