Goa’s Mala gets Rs 15 cr floodwater pumping station

As downpours hit the state capital, an Rs 15 crore floodwater pumping station was commissioned at Mala to prevent flooding in the low-lying area. Set up as part of the Smart City Mission, the floodwater pumping station consists of five high-volume pumps, which will thrust water from Mala Lake to Rua de Ourem creek to control the water levels in Mala Lake and nearby areas.The project includes five sludge pumps which can handle all types of floating material and can also be operated on three generators to ensure all-time operations. As part of the project, all stormwater drains have been connected to Mala Lake, which now has an automatic gate to control the entry of tidal water during the high tide.“As the MLA of Sankhali, over the past eight years I have seen how this floodwater pumping stations work,” said chief minister Pramod Sawant after inaugurating the project. “The pumping station has been working since 2013 in Sankhali. We are bringing the same system here.”Residents of the densely populated area have faced flooding every year with water entering many homes, petrol pumps, and commercial establishments.“All the drains of Mala have been connected and linked with the lake. This is water conservation in a way,” said Sawant. “Through this project, we have also increased the capacity of Mala lake and the entry of water during the high tide has also been controlled through an automatic gate.”WRD has also increased the water capacity of Mala Lake by deepening the lake from 24,000 cu m to 48,000 cu m of water.