The break in rain on Wednesday, after the continuous downpour witnessed since Sunday, saw a large number of domestic tourists making their way to shores along the Calangute-Candolim beach belt.
The stretch witnessed high tourist arrivals this monsoon because of the tourism department’s monsoon tourism promotions and the discounts offered by resorts and hotels, particularly for group bookings.
Vendors selling raincoats and umbrellas conducted brisk business along theCALANGUTE beach belt as tourists who were caught in the continuous downpour had to buy rainwear.
The heavy rain also led to waterlogging at many spots, particularly where construction of new resorts and other properties have led to the blocking of traditional water drains.
Residents of Orda, Candolim, who have built houses on the steep slope of the hill that forms the Candolim-Calangute-Saligao-Pilerne plateau, were worst affected as rainwater from a large part of the plateau, which drains down the Orda side, entered their houses.
A road in Calangute, which had been hot-mixed in December last year, sunk at many spots creating ditches that the public works department (PWD) has filled with stone rubble as a temporary measure. PWD workers were also seen filling potholes as several mishaps involving two-wheelers riders were reported.
There were a number of minor cases of tree branches falling. The Pilerne fire brigade was called in to clear the road near the Aguada jail after a tree got uprooted on Tuesday evening.
On the plus side, sludge that had enveloped roads in Calangute post digging for the sewerage network was washed away.