Will the old fishing vessels and the scrap dumped on the Cutbona fishing jetty finally be a thing of the past with the Margao deputy Collector Ganesh Barve issuing a host of directions?
MARGAO
With the cholera and dengue outbreak at the Cutbona fishing jetty has so far claiming five lives and affecting 163 migrant workers employed on the fishing vessels, exposing gross negligence on hygiene and sanitation, besides other illegalities, the district authorities have finally cracked the whip, setting deadlines for concerned agencies to bring about a turnaround at the state’s largest fishing hub on the health, hygiene and sanitation front within a time-frame.
Five days after the joint inspection unearthed rampant illegalities and deficiencies, Margao deputy Collector, Ganesh Barve has issued directions to the department of fisheries, health, Food and Drugs Administration, besides the Velim Panchayat secretary to put things in order at the fishing jetty.
Given that the Directorate of Fisheries is the custodian of the Cutbona fishing jetty, a host of directions have been issued to the Superintendent of Fisheries, including a direction to take steps to remove the old/unused vessels anchored at the new fishing jetty area. Besides, the Superintendent has been told to remove all scrap materials dumped on the extended portion of the new jetty and ensure the area is cleaned and maintained to prevent future dumping. The Fisheries Superintendent has been told to submit report on this front within 15 days.
Other directions issued to the Superintendent of Fisheries/Dept of Fisheries, include a direction to provide a comprehensive list of all fish trawlers/vessels, including their registration numbers and owner details. Additionally, the Superintendent has been told to include the number of laborers working on each trawler, along with their names, addresses, and contact details and to share the information with the Velim Panchayat, PHC Balli, Designated Officer, FDA South Goa, and the office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Margao within three days.
Besides, the Fisheries Department has also been told to remove all dumped and unused boats, as well as scrapped vessels, from the jetty area and designated car parking areas and to submit a report within 10 days.
The department has been further told to take steps to demarcate the boundaries of the land in their possession and create a colour-coded map of the jetty to indicate different zones and areas within 15 days.
Augment toilet and
bathing amenities
With the inspection unearthing the gross shortage of toilets the Cutbona fishing jetty, directions have been issued to the Fisheries department to take immediate steps to increase the number of toilets and bathing facilities as per the prescribed standards.
After the jetty inspection revealed the presence of bio-toilets, but are not put to effective use, the Fisheries have been told to ensure bio-toilets are functional within 10 Days.
In another direction, the Fisheries has been told to launch awareness campaigns on hygiene practices and the importance of seeking early treatment by distributing IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) pamphlets among boat owners and workers. Direction has been issued to distribute health kits and ORS sachets in consultation with health officails.
As the street lights at the jetty were found non-functional, the deputy Collector has further told the fisheries to take immediate steps to install street lights in the jetty area and submit report within seven days.
Health told to set
up monitoring cell
The Balli Primary Health Centre has been directed to set up a monitoring cell to detect and respond to any outbreak situations promptly.
Given that the fishing industry is totally dependent on the migrant workers, the deputy Collector’s direction has mandated the Health centre to regularly screen the reported labourers and maintain records. The PHC has been told to compile and send the daily report to the office of the Superintendent of Fisheries/Velim Panchayat Office and the SDM-II, Salcete. Besides, the PHC has been directed to conduct regular testing of water supplied via tankers to detect contamination.
Testing of tap water to
detect contamination
In another direction, Deputy Collector, Ganesh Barve has directed the FDA Designated Officer, South-Goa to conduct regular testing of tap water to detect contamination with a further direction to promptly report any detected contamination.
The FDA has been further told to determine the number of establishments, shops, and restaurants operating at the jetty and verify whether they have obtained the necessary permits, registrations, and licences from the authority and compile the findings into a detailed report. The Designated officer has been told to submit report within 10 Days.
Inspection of
establishments
Directions have been issued to the Velim Panchayat Secretary to determine the number of establishments, shops, and restaurants operating at the jetty and verify whether they have obtained NOC/Trade Licence from the Panchayat. The Panchayat secretary has been directed to compile the findings into a detailed report and submit the same within 10 days.
The Panchayat secretary has been further directed to launch awareness campaigns on hygiene practices and the importance of seeking early treatment.
