Orange alert issued in Goa; Dudhsagar trek to resume in October

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in Goa for September 9 and 10. The alert was issued after the regional met dept observed cyclonic circulation over central parts of Bay of Bengal, a low-pressure area over Westcentral and adjoining East-central Bay of Bengal.

Heavy rainfall in Goa has also resulted in the cancellation of most treks, including the famous Dudhsagar trek too. Water sports at the beaches and similar treks will commence once the rains subside.

On Wednesday, several parts in Goa recorded their highest single-day precipitation, crossing the 89.6 mm mark. The warning issued by IMD is an alert call for fishermen as the high windspeed on the said dates is expected to affect the sea current.

In addition to the cyclonic circulation over central parts of the Bay of Bengal, a trough running from the south Konkan area towards the low-pressure area in Bay of Bengal has resulted in the formation of a shear zone.

(A shear zone is a weather condition with opposing winds bringing heavy rain-bearing clouds over an area.)

With the rainy season coming to an end, water sports on the beaches in the state will begin once again. Dudhsagar falls trek will also open for the tourists.

Back in May, the Goa weather dept had issued an alert to halt all the operations near Dudhsagar falls, including trekking, jungle safari and more. Reportedly, the iconic Dudhsagar trek will start in October, offering just multi-utility vehicle trips via the Mollem National Park.

As of now, several sections including the first pool over the railway track and the area beyond the second pool in the trek have been declared as ‘No go’ areas. These areas are least explored and the river flowing underneath the pool makes it even more dangerous. Due to this, any visitation until October will be considered an illegal act.

Located in the Bhagwan Mahavir National Park in Mollem, the Dudhsagar falls are popular among tourists and locals as well. Most popular is the single-day hike to the waterfall with a lunch break at a spice plantation in the hinterland. Other major attractions here are the Devil’s Canyon, a formation of rock broken into sections and underwater passages through which the Dudhsagar river flows.