The Clean India campaign conveys a simple direct message to the people and the governments to maintain cleanliness at home and in public places. It has immense preventive value. Advanced countries are relatively away from certain infective diseases: malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, dysentery, encephalitis, filariasis, dengue fever, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, polio, smallpox, and so on. Therefore these diseases are often dubbed as ‘diseases of the third world.’ Unhygienic living environment is the primary source of the infective diseases. Focusing on this basic aspect by Prime Minister is a revolutionary movement. If it succeeds many lives will be saved and huge amount in terms of treatment can also be saved. There is a charge that this movement was started by the previous government. How is it that nobody knew about it, and no attempts were made to implement it? Ironically, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not applicable to the Panjim fish market, so it seems. After the first letter was published regarding the unhygienic conditions in the fish market there were some cosmetic changes but the area near the fish market is stinking as before. Some sewage water is leaking from the old GMC complex on the pavement of the fish market, near the bus stop and it flows into the open sewage. This flow has been there since many years. There are various government offices in the old GMC complex. Has nobody noticed the leaking sewage? Or is it left unattended to add to the aroma of the fish market? Why is no drainage provided in the area where fish is sold so that the used up water is drained? There are two open sewage lines, both are filled with dark, smelly stink.
SND Poojary, Miramar
