A rug at Mormugao has to put up with damp air off the harbour for much of the year and with dust from the port the rest of it. Wool and jute soak up that moisture and begin to smell, so the sensible choice is polypropylene or nylon in a low pile, light enough to carry on to the veranda and air on a dry day. The old bungalows have tiled and stone floors that belong to the house; lay rugs on them with a non-slip underlay and leave fitted carpet alone. Wall-to-wall carpet only makes sense in a closed, air-conditioned room. A coarse mat at each door stops grit at the threshold.
- High-ceilinged bungalow halls: a large patterned synthetic rug over the old tiles, on an underlay so it does not creep.
- Staff quarters and small flats: a low-pile rug in a dark mixed colour, small enough to hang over the railing to air.
- Air-conditioned bedrooms kept closed: the only rooms on the headland where wall-to-wall carpet will stay dry and fresh.
Mormugao is the headland at the mouth of the Zuari, where the harbour and its berths are. The area around the port, including Sada and the Headland, has port trust quarters, old bungalows built for port and railway officers, and housing on the hill above the harbour.
Housing ranges from large officers' bungalows with verandas and tall windows to compact staff quarters and flats. The bungalows have high ceilings and many windows, which means a good deal of curtain; the quarters have small windows where a blind is neater.
The headland is surrounded by water and takes the full force of monsoon wind. Salt, damp and port dust together make this the hardest place in South Goa for fabrics and metal fittings. Everything should be washable and rust-proof.
Sea-facing homes
Wool and jute hold moisture near the sea and can smell. Synthetic rugs in polypropylene or nylon dry quickly and resist mildew, and can be taken outside to air. Wall-to-wall carpet suits only air-conditioned rooms.
Homes near the port, airport and industrial estates
Where grit is carried in on shoes, a hard-wearing low-pile synthetic rug with a doormat at each entrance lasts far longer than a soft, deep pile.
