POINGUINIM: In the development of natural tauktae induced or the main cyclone, the Galgibaga River has changed its direction while separating from its smaller twin, the Mashem River, above sea level.
Now flow directly into the Arabian sea.
The Mashem River flows zig-zag, a short distance from Loliem in the southeast.
The second largest river Canacona Taluka, Galgibaga, came from Western Ghats and flowed west, curved south to join a smaller river to spur it into the sea.
The transfer of galgibaga on the left, near the sea, is needed by the establishment of saliva – sand tongue – since Hoary times, blocking its access.
This natural barricade was partly damaged in May, during Tauktae Turbulen Typhoon.
Experts say that Sandbar along Galgibaga has experienced erosion for a long time, mostly due to rough sea conditions and storm waves.
“Sandbar was first violated in many places on August 2020 by Cyclone Vayu.
The residual Sandbar was completely destroyed by Tauktae’s typhoon, producing a new channel opening,” Senior Geographer F M Tadif to Ti.
Previously, the interaction of Galgibaga with the Arab Sea was through Mashem Creek, but now, because of the opening of this new channel, it directly interacts with the sea, said Nadaf.
“It was observed that during the last spring, the water level in Galgibaga was higher than the period of May 2021.
It produces panic among the locals.” On Thursday, the villagers were stunned to see strong waves dismantling the remnants of sandy barriers, leveling it up 100 million and carve new channels around 15m for direct flow.
“The damage to the tongue is almost 50 m and it is easier to fill, but the authorities concerned ignores this problem.
Great sea waves now directly enter the river created a hazardized current,” said Mashem Resident Manoj Prabhugaononkar.
The second meeting of the river on the sea face – something that is quite rare – exactly what makes these two rivers important and create amazing sights, especially at sunset.
However, now, unprecedented opening has triggered panic when locals worried about flooding lowland houses in Jetty Mashem and nearby.
Only last week, a local fisherman almost drowned after his boat was reversed because of a strong current.
The flow in the river also results in mangrove forests on the side of the mashem gathering more sand and dirt.
The river changes its direction can be a disaster for ecosystems and locals in his bank, said villagers.
“This requires a high-level study or mangrove cover will disappear completely, expose the river to the tidal currents, sea waves and floods in other local rainy season, Matilda Dias, said.
Half a century ago, the Mashem-Galgibaga Rivers meeting – which created a vast channel between two rivers – was a growing port, said some elders.
The ships come with goods from as far as China will be anchored here.
“The river is more than 10 m,” said a senior village resident.
However, two decades returned, the decision of the Ministry of Public Works (PWD) to reclaim the river along the eastern edge of the channel strangling flow and increased syradors.
The villagers stopped the mud dumping for the bridge, but the damage was partly done.
PWD left work, but did not clean the embankment.
“A sand bar is formed then makes the mouth of the river shallow, influences the ecology,” said a village resident.
In recent years, PWD took and completed the expansion of the highway, reclaimed more river areas.
“All of this will have an irreversible impact on the river ecology,” said Prabhugaonkar.
“Threats to life and property will increase when the pairs of tides and heavy rainfall as in 2009 (Canacona disaster) struck,” said Nadaf.