There was cautious optimism and a sense of accomplishment as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira descended at the now-spruced-up Cutbona jetty to inaugurate the long-delayed 226-metre jetty. Sawant appeared relieved that the ghost of cholera had been buried but mentioned that the jetties were being misused in a big way. "I had seen the mess at the jetty. These jetties are meant for boat owners, but some spoiled the business of others," he said. The chief minister advised on the upkeep of the jetty and spelt out a slew of measures revolving around workers' health including mandatory health checks and cards for those working on jetties and the need for toilet facilities on boats.
The Cutbona jetty hit headlines in September this year casting a shadow over hygiene and sanitation at jetties across Goa as four fishing crew were reported dead after being infected by cholera. Sawant and Sequeira descended at the site to witness a sea of mess with protocols being violated with impunity. What followed was a blame game between departments that saw the environment minister taking stock of the situation on a regular basis gradually steering the situation out of danger. The question is whether the Cutbona jetty is genuinely out of danger now, or if the "all is well" projection is just a facade.
One must admit that a lot has changed for the good of Cutbona, and thanks to the state government's intervention, timely damage control has happened. But what guarantee does anyone hold that the situation will not slide back? The CM has found faults with the boat owners, and rightly so. But in the absence of accountability or mechanisms or protocols, the horror which we saw in September this year could return and once again it would be back to square one. We must understand that the situation at Cutbona spiralled out of hand because the checks and balances of respective departments failed. The priority has to be on fixing accountability and putting systems in place.
Secondly, the Cutbona issue may be resolved with the 50-seater toilet block, but what about sewage treatment? The area being low-lying, there has to be a plan for setting up a mini sewage treatment facility otherwise very soon raw sewage would find its way to the fields and other properties around. We are looking at manpower to the tune of 3,000-4,000, and hence there has to be full-proof systems to tackle sanitation. Thirdly, what about Kharewaddo jetty in Vasco and Chapora jetty, both of which lack sanitation facilities? There are about 250 small and large fishing boats docked at Kharewaddo jetty and about 3,000 migrant workers employed on boats. Both jetties have terrible sanitation and operate on similar lines to Cutbona with no adequate toilet facilities leaving migrants with no option but to defecate in the open. Add to this the condition of the Kharewaddo jetty which is in a dilapidated condition.
Fishing jetties serve as the gateway between the sea and the markets, playing a pivotal role in supporting fishermen. They are not mere points of docking; they are the heart of the fishing community, facilitating the entire supply chain. Hence there has to be a wider and practical view of the subject. Increased government investment in jetty infrastructure must be coupled with a commitment from operators to uphold standards of hygiene and maintenance. Moreover, the government must foster a culture of responsibility and stewardship so that stakeholders take ownership and responsibility.
