MARGAO
She came and she saw the state of affairs at the Cutbona fishing jetty, right from sanitation and sewage disposal to abandoned boats at the jetty et al, offering a ray of hope of a turnaround at South Goa’s fishing hub.
Braving heavy showers, Margao Sub-divisional Magistrate Jyoti Kumari (IAS) visited Cutbona, perhaps the first visit by an SDM and an IAS officer at the fishing jetty to personally see the ground reality before working out a solution to the issues plaguing the jetty.
The SDM declined to comment on the situation at Cutbona, hinting that major decisions may come at the June 17 meeting convened by her office to further discuss and decide on the issues.
Almost all the authorities, right from Balli Primary Health Officer, Dr Mamata Kakodkar, Fisheries deputy Director Velip, Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, Panch member Veena Cardozo, Sulabha sauchalaya in-charge, Brijesh Singh, Cuncolim Police station in-charge, all joined the planned inspection along with local activists and GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins on Tuesday morning.
After taking a close look at the Sulabh toilet, the SDM sought explanation from Brijesh Singh, who attributed the sewage discharge to poor soaking capacity because of the high water table. She also inquired with the health officials over the delay in constructing the 50-seater toilet facility after Martins brought up the issue during the inspection.
The SDM also visited the new jetty, which has not been inaugurated till date. She was informed that fishing nets are being stacked at the jetty for years now. The Velim sarpanch explained that abandoned fishing vessels are lying at the jetty, offering a perfect breeding ground for vector borne diseases. Savio said the Fisheries department took no action against the owners of the fishing boats, other than issuing show cause notices.
The presence of business stalls and kiosk on the roadside along the roadside also came up for discussion. The SDM maintained that the local Panchaayt body can issue show cause notices to the owners. Sarpanch Savio, however, said the Fisheries department does not allow any development or action at the jetty on ground that the jetty falls in its jurisdiction. “This is the first time that a SDM, who is an IAS officer, has come for inspection of the jetty. I only hope there’s a turnaround at the jetty since previous inspections have failed to bring about any changes”, Savio added.
Roland Martins later told the media that the inspection report will be discussed and deliberated at the meeting called by the SDM, Kumari on June 17. “We expect some decisions which will help resolve the burning issues plaguing the jetty, including sanitation and sewage disposal, vector borne diseases in and around the jetty, including malaria and dengue and towing away of abandoned boats from the jetty so that they do not become breeding grounds for mosquitoes”, Martins said.
