GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
Will the proposed takeover of the Cutbona fishing jetty by the Fisheries Department ring in good news on the sanitation front for the people of Cutbona hit by dengue and other vector borne diseases in recent years?
A visit to the Cutbona fishing jetty on Sunday showed that migrant workforce hailing from the malaria endemic States such as Odisha and Jharkhand have begun to descend at the jetty ahead of the new fishing season, beginning from August 1. Around 5000 migrant labourers are expected to descend at the jetty by the first fortnight of August, but the ground reality on the sanitation front has not changed for the better ahead of the new fishing season.
While the government decision to take over the Cutbona fishing jetty is aimed at ending factionalism amongst the warring boat owner, questions are raised whether the decision will help bring about a turnaround in the sanitation at the jetty.
Otherwise, consider this. While the Cutbona fishing jetty plays host to around 5000 migrant workers employed on the 250-odd fishing vessels, a lone toilet block falls short to cater to the requirements of the huge army of workers.
Plans by the Fisheries department mooted around half a decade ago, to improve the sanitation amenities at Cutbona jetty by building a 50-seater toilet block, is still confined to the record books of the department. Blame it on CRZ provisions or the failure to design a Sewage Treatment plant at the jetty, the sanitation plan has failed to take off till date.
That’s not all. The Fisheries Department has been caught napping over the demand made by the Velim village Panchayat and the gram sabha to install eco-mobile toilets at the jetty to cater to the requirements of the migrant workforce.
When The Goan contacted Fisheries Director Arlekar to shed light on the fate of the 50-seater toilet block and the proposal to hire mobile eco-toilets at Cutbona jetty, he said he would check the files on the status of the proposal.
Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, who also heads the Cutbona Boat Owners Union, said the ground reality on the sanitation front has not changed for the better at the Cutbona jetty till date. “I have not come across any activity to suggest that the fisheries department has any plan to spruce up the sanitation amenities for the migrant labourers”, he said.
At the recently-held gram sabha, agitated members had adopted a resolution demanding that either the Fisheries department should install mobile toilets at the jetty or the people will not allow the new fishing season to start at the jetty from August 1.
Says gram sabha member, Ramona Almeida: “The gram sabha was forced to take the resolution since the Fisheries department has been callous about in improving the sanitation facilities at the jetty. This despite the fact that the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao at the last meeting with the stakeholders had issue clear directions to the Fisheries department to improve the sanitation amenities, but in vain”.
Sarpanch Savio informed The Goan that the Panchayat will forward the gram sabha resolution to the Fisheries department for necessary action. “The issue falls in the domain of the Fisheries Department. Leave alone constructing the 50-seater toilet block, our plea for the installation of the mobile toilets has been ignored by the department till date”, he added.
