New 50-seater toilet at jetty lies unused as workers opt for open fields; boats still moored at new jetty despite govt fiat
Representatives of various agencies, Velim Panchayat and NGO at a joint inspection of the Cutbona fishing jetty to take stock of the diarrhoea cases.
MARGAO
Cutbona fishing jetty, State’s largest fishing hub, has so far detected around 13 diarrhoea cases in the last 13 days of the new fishing season, that started from August 1.
Health officials, however, were quick to point out that most of the detected cases were amongst the migrant crew who arrived to the jetty from their native states. The 13 cases were detected during the screening of the workers at the jetty. The Health team from Ball Primary Health Centre has so far screened around 1,655 migrant workers as on Wednesday.
To stop any outbreak of diarrhoea amongst the migrant workers employed on the fishing vessels, the Health Department has issued an advisory to the boat owners to ensure that the crew maintain hygiene, by washing hands with soap and by drinking boiled water.
A joint inspection of the Cutbona fishing jetty arranged by Deputy Collector, Margao Laxmikant Desai upon a letter from NGO GOACAN has further revealed that workers are not using the newly-built 50-seater toilet block at the fisheries complex and prefer to defecate in the open fields.
It has further come to light during the inspection that while the Fisheries Director’s fiat to the boat owners to remove the boats and dingy at the new jetty by August 15, a couple of fishing boats and dinghies were still found on the new jetty stretch.
Besides, Deputy Collector, Laxmikant Desai, members of the inspection team comprised of the Balli Primary Health Officer Dr Benedita Dias, Velim Sarpanch Veena Cardozo, besides officials representing the Fisheries Department and GOACAN Secretary Lorna Fernandes.
During discussions, Dr Benedita Dias explained that the health team stationed at the Cutbona fishing jetty has unearthed around 13 diarrhoea cases during screening of the migrant workers upon their arrival. She underscored the need to maintain hygiene and sanitation by the migrant workers to ensure there’s no outbreak of diarrhoea at the jetty. “We have told the boat owners to keep their workers with symptoms of diarrhoea under isolation and to ensure they use soaps and for washing hands after using toilet and before consuming food,” she said.
Conceding that hygiene on board the vessels is a major concern, the health officer, however, said drinking boiled water and washing hands will go a long way in maintaining hygiene.
To a question on retrofitting of toilets on board the vessels, the health officer said the Fisheries Department should take a call on the matter.
Deputy Collector, Laxmikant Desai said observations made during the inspection will be noted and reviewed at the next meeting at the district Collectorate.
He said necessary instructions will be issued to the boat owners to ensure their workers use the 50-seater toilet facility at the Cutbona fishing jetty.
GOACAN Secretary Lorna later told the media that minutes of the joint inspection along with the minutes of the previous inspections and the visit by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant last year will be discussed at the next meeting to overcome the issues plaguing the jetty.
Dept mulls penalties on boat owners
An official of the Fisheries Department has said the department will impose penalty on the boat owners who have still not removed their boats berthed at the extended portion of the Cutbona fishing jetty.
On the sewage treatment plan for the 50-seater toilet block, the Fisheries official said the department has initiated the process of setting up of a STP at the Cutbona fisheries complex for treatment of the sewage.
When the media drew attention of the Fisheries officials to the presence of fishing boats still anchored at the jetty when the department had set a deadline of August 15 to the boat owners to remove the vessels. “The department will identify the boat owners and impose fines amounting to Rs 1 lakh for berthing the vessels at the jetty,” the official added.
Open defecation continues: Velim sarpanch 
Velim Sarpanch Veena Cardozo informed that open defecation by the migrant workers employed on the fishing vessels has not stopped even though boat owners are making efforts to convince their crew to use the toilet facilities at the jetty.
She further asserted that diarrhoea cases have raised its ugly head at the Cutbona fishing jetty after the arrival of the migrant workers. “We did not see any diarrhoea cases at the jetty during the fishing ban period. It’s only after the migrant workers have started returning back to the jetty that the cases have been detected,” she said.
The Velim sarpanch further pointed out that the Velim panchayat has received a complaint from local residents about the nuisance and health hazard posed by the migrants because of open defecation in the locality.
