Sheds at Tuem industrial estate turn hotspot for Covid, malaria

PERNEM Temporary sheds for labourers at a construction site in the Tuem's extended industrial estate have turned into a hotspot for Covid and malaria in Pernem taluka.According to locals, there are 200 daily wage workers at the construction site and they reside in temporary huts, with barely sufficient facilities. They have also been found roaming around the village to buy groceries without wearing a mask.Tuem is one of the worse affected villages in Pernem taluka, with former sarpanch and sitting panch Nilesh Kandolkar claiming that many labourers have contracted the virus.According to reliable sources, six workers are also suffering from malaria.Locals have demanded that MLA Dayanand Sopte, health department and Pernem Deputy Collector Ravishankar Nipanikar must look into this matter."Permits to work at this industrial estate are not obtained from the panchayat and details of labourers for the construction work are not given to panchayat either. Besides, the panchayat isn't aware whether these workers have health cards or not. The government should take this matter seriously," said Kandolkar.Former headmaster, Dayanand Mandrekar, said these workers don't even wear masks."I go for my daily morning and evening walks near this estate. I have noticed many of these labourers wandering around in groups, often without masks, thereby endangering the lives of other people.”When contacted, Tuem Sarpanch Suhas Naik said around 4-5 Covid cases in the area are detected almost every day."Some workers stay in the village on rental basis. We have informed the room owners to home quarantine these workers. We had met deputy collector and health officer requesting them to seal the area, but no action has been taken as yet. Even the company employing these workers can easily seal the area and provide them basic groceries for some time,” said Naik.