MARGAO
Sea water rose menacingly along the Salcete coast, particularly along the Majorda-Colva-Sernabatim belt on early Thursday, with the rising sea water inundating the beach shacks erected along the belt. The rising sea water later receded, with many attributing the situation to the high tide. Though the water flooded the beach shacks, most of the beach shack owners escaped without any major loss or destruction of property.
President of the Beach Shack Owners Society of Goa, Cruz Cardozo, told the media that beach shacks were affected due to the rise in sea water level triggered by the high tide. “There will be loss to the owners here and there. When the shacks are inundated with water, customers do not come down to the beach, indirectly causing loss to the owners,” he said.
To a question, Cruz said some of the shack owners had to face anxious moments in the morning, more so those who have no additional area on the rear side of the shack. The President of the Beach Shack Owners Society pointed out that beach shack owners may avail themselves of the insurance facility provided by ICICI to take care of situations such as flooding and other factors causing loss and destruction. “After the beach shack owners had requested an insurance facility, ICICI has come out with such a facility. It will be of great help to the shack owners in times of disaster,” he added.
Meanwhile, a beach shack owner from Majorda has attributed the rising sea level to the full moon. “We have been in the shack business for the last 32 years. Sea water rises during full moon and later recedes. There is no major loss. The government has this year issued the permissions for the erection of beach shacks on time. What happened early Thursday morning is a normal phenomenon during high and low tide,” the owner added.
In the meantime, social activist Judith Almeida has said the rising sea water is a wake-up call to the authorities, including the Coastal Zone Management Authority, to take cognisance of the climatic changes. She has called for the protection of the sand dunes along the coast, which act as a barrier against sea water incursion.
