MARGAO
Around 4285 fever cases with NS1 positive and 90 confirmed cases. That’s the statistics of dengue cases reported in South Goa till December in the year 2023, with Vasco topping the list with 25 confirmed cases and 1262 NS1 positive cases, followed by Margao with 23 confirmed cases and 933 fever cases with NS1 positive cases.
As the Directorate of Health Services is bracing up to observe National Dengue Day on Thursday at the South district hospital, questions are being raised whether the stakeholders, including the Health centres, the labour department, and the local civic bodies are geared up to keep dengue at bay in the ensuing monsoon season.
A meeting of the District Coordination Committee for the control of vector-borne diseases held at the district Collectorate last year provides an insight into the issues that need to be resolved by the agencies to tackle the menace of dengue in the district, especially in the urban areas, fishing jetties and the Industrial estates housing unauthorized labour colonies in violation of the labour norms.
At the meeting, questions were raised by Dr Babita Angle representing the IMA on the issue pertaining to the unattended waste in the village areas and suggested conducting cleanliness drives under the Panchayats jurisdiction in order to tackle the same.
In fact, GOACAN Coordinator, Roland Martins had also requested the Collector, South Goa to see that all the four Committees i.e. Biodiversity Committee, Village Water & Sanitation Committee, Garbage Management Committee, and Village Health & Sanitation Committee are functional in all Panchayats, as it will help resolve most of the issues. He also said that the total number of constructions & no. of vector-borne disease cases to be categorized ward-wise at Panchayats & Municipal levels so that the Municipalities and Panchayats are aware of their high-risk areas for vector-borne diseases.
A request was also made at the meeting to the Water Resource Department to direct the owners of registered wells to the nearest Health Centre to collect Guppy fish and the concerned Health Centre to keep a note of the well registration number.
Incidentally, the Member Secretary had highlighted at the meeting the public nuisance caused due to mosquito breeding in the abandoned buildings and vehicles under the Margao jurisdiction. To this, the Collector South said to file a report to MMC Margao and take a stability report with regards to buildings and to the Traffic Cell, Margao regarding abandoned vehicles.
As the state is bracing up for yet another monsoon, questions are being raised about whether the Margao Municipality has attended to the abandoned vehicles and buildings and whether any structural stability reports have been carried out of the dilapidated building.
Incidentally, Labour officials had maintained that regular inspections of the construction sites are done by the Labour Inspector. If the construction site has less than 50 labourers then the contractor shall maintain the record of the same which is timely checked by the Labour Inspector. However, in case there are more than 50 labourers then the contractor shall register with the Labour Department.
