MARGAO
A visit to the Cutbona jetty has revealed that while the boat owners were pre-occupied with the fishing activity, the existing 10-toilet block at the jetty is not just inadequate to cater to the huge requirements, but have been craving for attention on the maintenance front.
Inquiries by The Goan has now revealed that the promised 50-toilet block is unlikely to become a reality at least in the immediate future, for the simple reason that the construction is now expected to kick off only after a sewage treatment plant (STP) is put
in place at the jetty complex.
Sulabh International, which had bagged the contract to build the 50-toilet block, now says the agency will not commence construction of the project until a STP becomes a reality. Sulabh senior official Brijesh Singh told The Goan that the agency is apparently waiting for the completion of the STP since the water table around the fisheries complex at Cutbona is very high. "Unless a STP is first put in place, the construction of the 50-toilet block will not commence. Given the high water table around the fisheries complex, disposal of the sewage and waste water from the toilet block would
only aggravate the issue,"
Brijesh said.
What's interesting to note is the fact that though the Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro had last year issued instructions to the boat owners association and fisheries society to chip in funds to finance the mobile toilets, the instructions apparently went abegging with not a single mobile toilet making its presence felt at the jetty during the season.
A local villager wondered whether the Fisheries Director had only pushed the ball in the court of the boat owners and their associations instead of cracking a whip against the boat owners responsible to take care of migrant labour. "Unless the Fisheries Director cracks a whip against the associations or the department makes arrangements for the mobile toilets, sanitation will not improve at the jetty," remarked the villager.
President of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union, Savio D'Silva, who also presides over the affairs of the Velim panchayat as the village sarpanch, said the panchayat body as well as the Union will vigorously pursue with the Directorate of Fisheries to ensure that the 50-toilet block sees the light of day at the Cutbona jetty at the earliest. "The boat owners are aware that the 10-toilet block is not adequate to meet the requirements of the migrant labour. We will pursue the matter with the government on topmost priority," Savio said.
