Tackling diseases like dengue and chikungunya is proving a tough challenge for the Goa government. A blame game will be on, as everybody grapples for the answer amidst a fragile situation after the heavy rains which lashed Goa a few days ago, with still no relief as many people have died due to various reasons, the main one being house collapses, especially mud houses. To prevent the occurrence of such waterborne diseases, effective vaccines are needed to combat the diseases, and research labs should take the initiative to find them.
We cannot fully blame the government alone for the spread of waterborne diseases, but the citizens are also responsible for littering public places in cities with filth. In villages, we find garbage kept on the roadside and littered in every nook and corner, with the Village Panchayats being mere spectators. No action is taken against littering, which is done mostly by migrants staying in rented rooms and flats. One village I want to pinpoint is my village, Corlim in Tiswadi. Despite having a fully-fledged health centre run by the Director of Health Services, when asked about the situation, both the Village Panchayat and Health Centre reply that there is no official written complaint from anyone, hence no action. Are these authorities waiting for casualties to take action?
Citizens are also not maintaining proper hygienic conditions in their neighbourhoods, which helps in the breeding of mosquitoes. Though most of us know how to dispose of our waste scientifically, we seldom do it. It is said that our citizens lack civic sense; otherwise, infectious diseases like dengue and chikungunya would not have brought havoc in Goa and the country. We become more conscious only when an epidemic strikes, and that is knocking on our door. If we don’t maintain civic sense, this attitude should change.
