No relief as light showers, sultry nights to continue

Mapusa: The people of Tuem in Pernem taluka are worried after mamlatdar Ranjit Salgaonkar issued notices to property owners demanding payment of pending fines linked to illegal stone quarrying, warning that properties could be confiscated on the directorate of mines and geology’s directions.

An official said the mines directorate has begun proceedings to attach houses, private vehicles and other assets to recover unpaid fines running into lakhs of rupees.

The crackdown follows years of illegal stone quarrying in the area. With many plots held jointly by comunidades or families, notices have been served to all co-owners, the official said.

The notices have triggered panic and resentment among recipients, with some saying govt is now acting against locals over long-running illegalities. Others have supported the move, pointing to the danger posed by abandoned quarry pits during the monsoon.

In Sep 2019, four school students drowned in an abandoned stone quarry in Tuem while on a school trek.

“We don’t want a repeat of such tragedy. Such quarries should be closed, or filled with soil. We don’t want abandoned water bodies,” said the mother of one of the victims.

Local Ratakant Raut said that if quarry owners leave pits open, govt must act to prevent drownings once they fill with rainwater.

“This time, swimming zones and signage warning against drowning have been put up, but will that be enough? It’s a collective responsibility of locals as well as the administration,” Raut said.

Panaji: Relief from hot and humid conditions during night and day at the summer’s peak appears unlikely, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Panaji, has forecast no significant increase in pre-monsoon activity during the next few days.

A trend of light to moderate rainfall since Tuesday is likely to continue, as the state average rain during last three days was hardly 7mm.

An upper air cyclonic circulation over southeast Arabian Sea and neighbourhood area has not yielded even moderate rain.

The El Nino phenomenon appears to have delayed the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala beyond May 26.

The pre-monsoon activity during May was scarce during the first fortnight and the shortfall had gone up above 50% at one stage.

The highest 24-hour rainfall during the more active pre-monsoon phase in this fortnight has been 17.2mm recorded on May 24 and 10.8mm on May 25.

During the last 24 hours till Thursday morning, there was widespread but mostly light rainfall across the state. Dabolim and Mapusa recorded moderate rainfall of 14.6mm and 12mm. While Margao recorded 3.3mm and Ponda 1mm, four other centres received between 0.4mm to 0.8mm. Figures of rain in Pernem and Valpoi were not available.

In the past, there was relief from the sultry and humid conditions during night hours, but this summer witnessed heat wave-like conditions.

The maximum temperature hovered below 35°C, only a degree above normal, during the last few days. But at night, the temperatures rise about two degrees above normal at 28°C plus.

The first fortnight witnessed temperatures more than two degrees above normal at 36°C for most days while at night the mercury was soaring to 28 °C, causing extreme discomfort and unseasiness.