MARGAO
The fate of the new 222-metre-long Cutbona fishing jetty, built at a whopping cost of Rs 11 crore half-a-decade ago, literally hangs in balance.
Post-dengue and cholera outbreak at the Cutbona fishing jetty, the 222-metre-long jetty is getting cleared of the waste dump and the old and unused vessels. A bigger question, however, has come to stare at the government officials, Fisheries department and the stakeholders “ will the new 222-metre-long jetty ever serve the intended purpose to facilitate boat owners to unload fish at Goa’s largest fishing hub? This question has come to the fore for the simple reason that the fisheries department has barred entry of six-wheel vehicles.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), the agency which had executed the job of constructing the 222-metre-long jetty at Cutbona alongside the old jetty has pushed the blame on the West Bengal Fisheries Development Corporation, the consultant appointed by the Government of India to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR). That’s not all. While preparing the DPR, the GSIDC stated that the agency had followed all the specifications in the design of the jetty, clearly stating that no vehicles would enter the jetty.
The initial plan was to build a 30-metre wide new jetty, but the plan was shelved after the local populace protested and alleged that the 222-metre-long jetty is being proposed for coal handling and to play host to casino boats. The jetty width was later reduced to 11 metres.
Sadly, it’s now five years since the Rs 11-crore 222-metre-long jetty is in place at the jetty, but has not served the purpose of the boat owners. For the Fisheries department has barricaded the jetty with a wall, to bar entry of vehicles for loading of fish, rendering the new jetty to a waste dump comprising of dingy boats, old fishing nets, fish crates, etc. With boat owners unable to use the jetty for unloading and loading of fish, the 222-metre jetty now plays host to the 46 old and unused vessels, raising serious questions over the tax payers’ money spent on a project which has not served the intended objective in the last five years.
Boat owners say the 222-metre-long jetty has not helped them in any way in the last five years. “We are not allowed to take six-wheel vehicles on the new jetty to load fish from the vessels docked at the jetty. They have put a barrier, barring us from using the jetty,” remarked boat owner Sebastian Cardozo.
The issue has occupied the mind of the Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira, who has been tasked to clear the Cutbona jetty of the illegalities and tone up hygiene and sanitation post-dengue and cholera outbreak. In fact, Sequeira invited officials of the GSIDC, PWD and the Fisheries department to find a way forward, seeking to know from the officials whether there’s any way to strengthen the structure to take the load of six-wheel vehicles. GSIDC officials were quick to point out that the structure has been erected on pile foundation, suggesting little chances of strengthening the jetty.
PWD officials, however, suggested load testing of the 222-metre before taking a call.
Sequeira, however, said the jetty was designed in order to maintain minimum hygiene and the standards laid down by the Government of India, saying the vehicles need to be parked at certain distance away from the jetty.
