Water stagnation around the Mapusa fish market building poses a serious threat to visitors during the monsoon season.
MAPUSA
Visitors and residents are greeted by stagnant dirty water that gets accumulated at the drainage pits all around the fish market building.
The water used by chicken retailers who occupy the first floor and fish vendors on the ground floor gets accumulated in the drain pits.
The drainage system of the relatively new building has not been working, resulting in water accumulation.
The accumulated water is not only dirty and black in colour, but more horrendously it is infested with worms.
“The dirty and putrid water is not only an eyesore, but perfect breeding house for mosquitoes as well,” said Kishore Raut, a resident of Mapusa.
“It is sad our elected representatives and civic authorities cannot see such flaws, which can harm visitors and residents in and around the town,” he added.
In an attempt to keep away the flaw from the public eye and to avoid the stink emanating from the pits, the vendors squatting around the building have blocked the pits with plastic sheets/sacks.
In the rains, the area could turn into a perfect ground for the spread of water-borne diseases.
Dr Anant Palekar, Medical Officer at the Urban Health Centre, has admitted that stagnated water was bad
and an eyesore.
“It’s dirty water for sure. Our field workers are carrying out anti-larval treatment once a week around the fish market area,” Dr Palekar said.
The medical officer discounted the threat of malaria on account of the dirty water but cautioned that there was threat of other water-borne diseases.
“Since mosquitoes transmitting malaria breed in fresh water, there’s no question of outbreak of malaria but people could be affected with diseases like diarhoea and typhoid spread through flies,” Dr Palekar said.
The Mapusa Municipal Council, Market Committee, Chairman, Sanjay Mishal said he had visited the market along with the market committee members but this irregularity had escaped his eyes.
“Cleanliness in the market is my top priority. I will instruct the market inspectors to look into the matter and take immediate remedial measures,” said Mishal, who is presently out of station.
