Landslide disrupts traffic on Goa-Karnataka route; IMD issues 'orange' alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' for Goa, predicting heavy rains in the next 24 hours. In the last one day, both North Goa and South Goa districts received heavy showers. Ponda taluka in South Goa received the highest 190 mm rainfall, according to the IMD.

The landslide occurred near Dudhsagar Temple at Anmod Ghat, located on the southern boundary of Goa, leading to Karnataka, a police official said.

Traffic movement from the ghat section to areas like Belgaum and Khanapur in Karnataka was disrupted, he said. "A huge pile of mud was seen on the road near Shree Dudhsagar Temple in the ghat region. Personnel of the fire and emergency services rushed to the spot to clear it, but it could not be removed till morning," he said.

Traffic movement through the Anmod Ghat will remain closed at least till the afternoon, the official said. Anmod Ghat is an important link between Goa and Karnataka, used for going to Belgaum and Khanapur in Karnataka and Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Several vehicles were seen lined up in the ghat section after the incident, as per sources.

Police were stopping the vehicles at Mollem check post, alerting travellers about the landslide. Many vehicles carrying essential items like milk and vegetables pass through this route.

Goa continued to receive heavy rains on Thursday amid the 'orange' alert. The IMD bulletin said heavy rains at scattered places with very heavy showers at isolated places are expected along with strong surface winds over North Goa and South Goa districts.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS) has issued a high wave warning for the North Goa coast from Chapora to Panaji (Malim), as per the IMD. "High waves in the range of 3.7-4.0 meters are forecast from 17:30 hours on 16-07-2024 to 23:30 hours on 18-07-2024. It is advised that small vessels should not ply and nearshore recreation activities be totally suspended as erosion/wave surges are possible," it said.

In the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, South Goa received 121.4 mm rainfall while North Goa recorded 96.3 mm rain. Ponda taluka in South Goa received the highest 190 mm rainfall, followed by Mormugao 121.4 mm and Margao 118.1 mm (both also in South Goa) during the period, as per the IMD data.