the goan I network
MARGAO
As the area remained choked with smoke since the last three days, forcing residents to stay indoors or shut the doors and windows, the residents had a pointed question to ask “ why has the district administration ignored their plight since Monday when fire engulfed Sonsodo four days ago.
They maintained that neither the Chief Minister nor the Ministers took cognizance of their plight nor did the district Collector or the health authorities came to their door steps with bare minimum amenities such as face
masks.
A resident Guilherme Fernandes, who was attended by the Curtorim Primary Health Centre, pointed out that the unbearable smoke made him giddy and other symptoms, but lamented that no official visited the residents since the last three days.
A ride down the Curtorim road up to Maina village near Gandhi road revealed that the entire area was enveloped by a thick blanket of smoke. Take note, this situation has been prevailing in and around Maina since the last three days with no Health official or any official of the district administration visiting the area to understand the plight of the citizens.
A couple of business establishments at the Curtorim-Raia road junctions were found shut, with the employees unable to bear the brunt of the smoke, while employees of other establishments were working with masks or their doors and windows shut.
What has agitated the beleaguered residents was the indifference by the authorities, including the health department. A resident Maria Menezes demanded to know why the health or other officials came to their rescue when they were hit by the smoke.
Abdul Sheikh, who runs a workshop right adjoining the Sonsodo dump, pointed out that the smoke has thrown their lives and business out of gear for the last four days, with no authority taking time to understand their
fate.
Another resident Santan D’Souza, said the smoke emanating from the Sonsodo yard form burning mixed waste, including plastic, is cancerous in nature.
The residents raised a host of question, including a question why has the Chief Minister or the Health Minister not visited the Maina area till date.
Chairman of Bio-diversity committee J Santan Rodrigues and Curtorim panchayat member Simon Barretto demanded to know why a medical team or a doctor has not visited the beleaguered residents till date when people were literally consuming smoke since the last three days.
Former Sarpanch Rupesh Naik demanded that the district Collector should immediately deploy a medical team at Maina to check the health of the citizens.
Sympathizing with the plight of the citizens and given that she herself resides in the area, MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai said she has already requested the district Collector, South Ajit Roy to depute two teams of health officials to attend to the citizens at Raia
and Maina.
