TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Differences surfaced amongst residents of dengue-hit Cutbona over the presence of migrant labourers in their locality, even as a high-level team of health officials descended on Cutbona for an on-the-spot inspection of the area.
During an interaction between health officials and locals in the presence of Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva and Velim Sarpanch Melvyn Sanches, a row broke out over migrant workers putting up in the residential locality. While a local resident and President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Seby Cardozo demanded that the health officials screen all workers employed on the fishing vessels, some of the locals demanded that the boat owners shift their migrant workers and fishing nets from the residential locality.
Heated discussions ensued between Seby and other locals over the issue as they came face to face over the migrant issue, pushing the interactive session to the background. The locals demanded there ought to be no differences between local boat owners and outsiders, demanding that all should take away their workers and nets from the locality.
Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva said he was instrumental in getting the health team to Velim, the third visit by a DHS team, to take stock of the dengue situation in the area. “The interaction was basically to bring about awareness amongst residents and not to take a decision on migrants workers”, he said, adding that the primary task before the authorities is to stop the spread of dengue and not to decide whose migrant workers should be allowed to stay in the residential locality.
Velim Sarpanch Melvyn Sanches said he would soon write to the fisheries department to take immediate measures to build 50 toilets sanctioned at the Cutbona jetty. “Sanitation is a big problem facing the Cutbona fishing jetty. There are around 5,000-6,000 migrant workers working on the fishing vessels. Time has come to provide them with basic sanitation facilities”, Sanches said.
Meanwhile, the Velim Sarpanch has invited Bombay Innovative Products Pvt Ltd to carry out chemical spraying of the dengue-hit areas of Cutbona. Proprietor of the firm Ted Alemao explained to the people how mosquitoes breed in various situations and suggested preventive measures.
