AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
MOBOR: Panic is in the air in Cavelossim with five deaths having been reported by the State Epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar from the two-hundred-and-twenty-one cholera cases in Cutbona and Mobor fishing jetties collectively on Friday evening.
“There are seven active cases today with two patients admitted and the other five receiving treatment outside,” added Dr Betodkar.
The number of cholera cases, reportedly, emanating from the Joecon and Silva private landing jetty at Mobor pushed the Cavelossim Panchayat to write to South Goa Collector on 25-09-2024 under the title: “Fish landing and other activities”, to stop the activities within the jurisdiction of Village Panchayat of Cavelossim which has led to continuous increase in acute gastroenteritis (cholera) cases at Mobor, Cavelossim.”
“The locals do not earn from the two private jetties, but from tourism and it is but rational that we ask that activities in the two jetties be stopped immediately because if the news of cholera spreads, tourists will stop coming and it will affect everyone,” argued Cavelossim sarpanch Dixon Vaz.
The first death was reported to the South Goa Collector on August 26, 2024, when Dr Nixon Martins Fernandes, Medical Officer attached to the Chinchinim Primary Health Centre in a letter stated: “This office was intimated on 19-08-2024 by the South Goa District Epidemiologist about five cases of acute gastroenteritis leading to severe dehydration amongst boat workers at Mobor, Cavelossim. These migrant workers were admitted at South Goa District Hospital. They had fallen sick while sailing in the sea near Karwar and were brought back to Goa for treatment. The preliminary investigation points towards an outbreak
of cholera.”
The letter further reads: “As on this date, eleven cases were given domiciliary treatment, ten cases were admitted at South Goa District Hospital and three are treated at Goa Medical College. One death has also been reported.”
Cavelossim Village Panchayat on September 5, 2024, issued a show cause notice to Joecon Fisheries and Silva Fisheries. The notice reads: “The Village Panchayat of Cavelossim has carried out the suo motu site inspection on 03-09-2024 at your fisheries at 1 pm.
The notice stated that Joecon Fisheries and Silva Fisheries were carrying out unhygienic activities causing nuisance in the surrounding areas, had not provided the adequate and hygienic sanitary facilities to the labourers, violating all the health norms leading to the outbreak in acute gastroenteritis cases (cholera), dengue, etc, and severe dehydration amongst boat staff and not maintained database of health status of your labourers engaged on each boat and rise in acute gastroenteritis cases.
Both Joecon and Silva Fisheries washed their hands off in their reply to the show cause notice claiming that the problem was at Cutbona jetty and not at the private landing jetties at Mobor.
“We don’t allow any of our vessels to go to Cutbona jetty,” wrote Miguel Rodrigues, owner of Joecon Fisheries, adding: “because there is a big outbreak there, and it is a private jetty with less control.”
“An extraordinary Gram Sabha was called after which we inspected both the jetties. Silva has promised to build toilets and Joecon has covered his stuff with plastic. But the real problem is with the Fisheries Minister, the Environment Minister and the former Fisheries Director who was there doing nothing for so many years,” claimed Venzy Viegas, Benaulim MLA.
“We have been fighting for years against this illegal private landing jetty in our village and none of the sarpanchas of the past or the present Sarpanch has taken any action. It is obvious why,” stated Cavelossim panch member Iris Passanha.