MARGAO
Garbage dump in the open; scrapyards sans hygiene; rooms leased out on rent sans sanitation facilities; abandoned vehicles playing host to breeding grounds et al.
These and other issues have come to the fore at the Rumdamol Housing Board days after dengue has claimed the life of a five-year-old boy last week, throwing up a simple question “ whether the suspected dengue death will come as a wakeup call for the local panchayat body and the district authorities to crack a whip to bring about a turnaround in the migrant-inhabited village.
The Curtorim Primary Health Centre has knocked the doors of the South Goa district Collector to get the Rumdamol village panchayat to initiate measures to clear the unhygienic and insanitary conditions prevailing in the village.
In fact, Curtorim Health Officer Dr Vallabh Nadkarni had a meeting with the Rumdamol Sarpanch Mubina Fanibandh and panchayat members post-death of the five-year-old boy, with a plea to the panchayat to get its act together and clear the garbage black spots.
Take note, the five-year-old deceased boy was staying just metres away from a black spot, throwing questions over the presence of the black spot close to a residential locality.
In the letter addressed to the district Collector, the Curtorim health officer was point blank in saying that a number of factors have offered a conducive ground for breeding of mosquitoes and spread of vector borne diseases like dengue, malaria and other diseases.
What prompted the health centre to seek the Collector’s intervention was the fact that the health centre had in the past informed residents as well as the panchayat members regarding the ground reality several times on the question of maintenance of hygiene, but to no avail.
“There is a big garbage dump in the open ground area of the panchayat where waste is accumulated including plastic bottles and other containers which is a breeding hotspot of mosquitoes for spread of the diseases,” Dr Nadkarni wrote to the Collector, pointing out that the garbage dump is located right opposite the place where the deceased boy was residing.
He further pointed out that majority of the houses in the panchayat area are given on rent, which are not only illegal, but are having no proper sanitation facilities. The area plays host to the floating population who work in different areas, the health centre added.
Saying the area plays host to abandoned vehicles, including rickshaws, which have turned into breeding spots due to water stagnation, the health centre also drew attention of the Collector to the number of scrapyards located in the village sans proper hygiene and are breeding areas.
Ruling panchayat member Saimulla Fanibandh told the Goan that the panchayat has drawn up a plan of action to clear the garbage black spots and to get the owners tow away the abandoned vehicles. “The panchayat has undertaken an awareness program to educate the people how to get rid of water stagnation in and around their houses,” he added.
PHC issues notices to houses in Housing Board, threatens to disconnect water supply
MARGAO: The Curtorim Primary Health Centre has cracked a whip against the residential houses at the Rumdamol Housing Board to abate the nuisance created around their premise or face action including disconnection of water supply.
Notices have also gone to the scrapyards to take proper maintenance of their activity or face action.
The PHC has issued notices to the houses having unhygienic conditions and breeding sites for abatement of nuisance under Public Health Act 1985.
Sanitary Inspector Eusebio Silva has warned that the PHC would recommend water disconnection if the nuisance is not abated by the households within the time frame. “We have identified around 50 houses for want of hygiene and sanitation. Notices have been issued to around 20 houses till date to abate the nuisance or face action,” he said.
