Nature keeps Arossim ‘handdi’ drain flowing

CANSAULIM: A 2km-long

stormwater channel

existing since times immemorial has served to keep the entire village of

Arossim

safe from flooding, but residents were worried recently after the

salvage operation

to scrap the grounded

pontoon

commenced. A huge pit dug on Arossim beach before work began to retrieve the vessel embedded in the sand raised apprehensions, as the huge mound of sand almost blocked the channel, popularly known as ‘handdi ‘(Khanddi). The natural water channels exist on many beaches, but they peter out a few metres away towards the land into the sand dunes. Often, they are formed due to the fury of the sea during monsoon and vanish during fair weather. The ‘handdi’ at Arossim originates from a tributary linked to River Sal in the east and courses 2km from Arossim tollem (lake) through the densely populated village to the sea. “It is a natural water body and a rainstorm channel that collects the rain water from the entire village and empties it into the sea,” a villager said. Villagers allege that some, especially from the hospitality sector, have tried to block the three-to-four metre broad channel in some stretches. “Their attempts have failed and nature has taken care of itself and the channel has determined its own course,” Anthony D’Silva, a local resident, said. The pit dug on the shore gave away after a few hours of heavy rainfall, much to the villagers relief. The villagers also opposed a north Goa politician’s suggestion to erect a sluice gate which would have helped a hotel in the area. The channel had been desilted at an estimated cost of 2.60 lakh. RDA minister and local MLA Alina Saldanha had said that desilting would ensure flow of rainwater to the sea.
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