In Sao Jose De Areal and the Margao Industrial Estate locality, the number of suspected cases has crossed the danger mark, leaving everyone tense about the epidemic. People were admitted to the ICU as well, but they are recovering well. According to Curtorim health officials, 48 cases (both Goans and outsiders) were confirmed to have dengue. They also said there were two cases in Velim, two in Fatorpa village and two in Cuncolim.
In view of the rising dengue toll in Margao, BJP leader Sharmad Raitukar held a meeting in Comba, Margao on Thursday to discuss the issue. MUHC officials stated that there were three dengue cases in Comba and one in Margao. The MUHC covers Margao and Fatorda.
All suspected and confirmed cases of dengue are monitored extensively by the health centres, even when patients are admitted to private hospitals. The respective health centre sends a team to fumigate the residential areas. Besides taking precautionary measures, the health centres also issue health cards to migrant labourers employed at construction sites.
The District Co-ordination Committee for Prevention of Vector-Borne Disease, South Goa also held their regular meeting to assess and tackle the situation accordingly. However, the dengue outbreak has grown dangerously without completing even one month of rains.
Regarding the outbreak at Sao Jose De Areal, CPHC in-charge Dr Borkar blamed the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) for its lack of cooperation and said that the health department was working. He added, “The locals are to be held equally responsible as there are breeding grounds of vector-borne diseases also in the village.”
On the other hand, IDC Chairman Ganesh Gaonkar expressed anger over the inaction of health officers and pollution control authorities to control the epidemic. He accused them of taking a lazy approach towards the afflicted areas. He said, “Making sure there is no outbreak of diseases is the work of the local health centres and, to some extent, the pollution control board. Both the authorities have failed to perform their duties, and they must own the responsibility now.”
He added, “Nevertheless, with the Industries Minister’s help, I have begun issuing notices to the sheds, which I will soon repossess. We will put things in order as no work has been done for the last 30 to 35 years.”
District Collector IAS Sachin Shinde is waiting for the health department to comply with the notices issued by the District Administration. He said, “Section 144 has been imposed, which calls for the removal of potential breeding grounds of vector-borne diseases. The authorities have also been directed to remove all potential breeding grounds in Margao IDC to prevent further infections. Our order remains in force for six months. Now we are waiting for the compliance report from the health department, which we haven’t received till today.”
While the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has already issued notices to the scrap yards, following which they are likely to seal them, Areal sarpanch Julio Monteiro said that the panchayat would file an intervening petition in the courts if the matter was not resolved.
It is to be noted that the scrapyards had been sealed by the district administration following prior orders from the GSPCB, but thee scrapyard owners approached the high court, which directed the GSPCB to give the owners a fair hearing.
“The people are suffering because of this,” lamented Monteiro.
