MARGAO
A last-minute intervention by the government has stalled the reintroduction of ‘pay-and-use’ toilets at the Cutbona jetty, ensuring that sanitation facilities at the State’s largest fishing hub will continue to be available free of cost for thousands of migrant crew members employed on the fishing vesels.
The government’s move to prevent Sulabh International from charging fees for toilet use comes amid concerns that charging for the use of toilets would force many migrant workers to defecate in the open fields surrounding the jetty, posing a serious public health risk.
Sulabh International had almost decided to revive the pay-and-use system when the new fishing season begins on August 1 after the Fisheries Department failed to clear the agency’s maintenance dues for the previous fishing season.
However, the intervention of the Secretary (Fisheries), followed by a meeting involving officials of the Fisheries Department, representatives of boat owners and Sulabh International, helped avert what could have turned into a sanitation crisis at the jetty. The Cutbona fishing hub had witnessed outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea during the initial days of the previous two fishing seasons.
A senior Sulabh International official told The Goan that the agency reconsidered its decision following assurances given by the Secretary (Fisheries). “The Secretary (Fisheries) assured us that the sanitation maintenance dues for the last fishing season would be cleared during the first week of August. The boat owners have also been asked to make arrangements for payment of the maintenance charges,” the official said.
Sulabh International had earlier written to the Director of Fisheries, warning that it would reintroduce the pay-and-use system after the department failed to release any maintenance funds for the previous season.
“We did not receive any payment from the Fisheries Department for the last fishing season. The Secretary (Fisheries) informed us that the department would collect the maintenance charges from the boat owners and remit the amount to Sulabh. In the absence of payments, we had proposed to reintroduce the pay-and-use system to ensure the upkeep of the sanitation facilities,” the official added.
However, uncertainty remains over how the maintenance charges will be collected from the boat owners. Confusion persists over whether individual boat owners, as reportedly suggested by the Director of Fisheries, will make the payments directly or whether the dues will be collected through the Cutbona-based fisheries societies.
Fishing season set for slow start amid manpower shortage
MARGAO: Hardly 15-20 fishing vessels are expected to venture into the Arabian Sea from the Cutbona fishing jetty when the new fishing season resumes on August 1, as the migrant workforce has yet to return to the jetty.
The delay in the arrival of migrant workers means that the majority of the nearly 200 fishing vessels operating from Cutbona will remain anchored in the River Sal. Only 286 migrant workers have registered for screening at the jetty till Friday.
Chairman of the Cutbona Fisheries Society, Savio D’Silva, said only around 15-20 vessels from the fleet would set sail on August 1 due to a shortage of manpower. He, however, expressed confidence that workers from Odisha and Jharkhand would begin arriving by early next week.
Secretary of the Cutbona Boat Owners Federation, Patrick Silva, echoed similar concerns, stating that the bulk of the migrant workforce had not yet reported to the jetty. “We expect the workers to return over the next few days, after which more vessels will be able to resume fishing operations,” he added.
Velim MLA raises alarm over unhygienic sanitation facility
