Goa: Michael Lobo pitches for monitoring of all slum-like dwellings

PANAJI: The spread of the novel coronavirus in Mangor Hill has shown that slum-like dwellings or ‘bastis’ are susceptible to rapid transmission of the virus, rural development minister Michael Lobo said. Lobo, who met chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday, has called for monitoring all areas where houses are in close proximity.
Lobo identified the slum-like dwellings at Merces, Chimbel, Zuarinagar, Mapusa, Aradi in Parra and around Margao as vulnerable places.
“Orders will have to go from the chief minister’s office to the deputy collectors of those areas and they will have to take a meeting of the chief officers or panchayat members along with the people of those areas. To stop any community transmission, to avoid community transmission happening, we have to stop people coming from outside the state to stay in those areas,” he said.
Civil supplies minister Govind Gaude also shared Lobo’s concern and raised the issue with the chief minister. “It is mandatory for us now to check the bastis around. Those who enter Vasco should be stopped and those who usually go out should be stopped. If the transmission continues and spreads out of Vasco, then Goa will be in trouble,” he said.
Interestingly, while Lobo claimed that community transmission has begun in Mangor Hill, Sawant has termed the fresh outbreak as “local transmission”.
“Like Dharavi in Mumbai where the cases are spreading, Mangor Hill is a similar situation. Shanties, where houses are close together, there are common walls, we have to keep a watch and take precautions,” said Lobo.
The rural development minister has called on social workers, NGOs, panchayat members and others to keep a close watch on the arrival of outsiders in slum-like dwellings as the virus could spread quickly in such areas.
He said that keeping the state’s borders closed is no longer an option. However, Lobo said that Goa’s present situation is not conducive for the opening of the hospitality sector.
“There is community transmission happening and it is not in the interest of Goa to start resorts and hotels as more tourists will come and stay. It is not the right time. We will take another review and if things go a little bad, we will have to take strict measures, malls will have to be shut,” Lobo said.