Gujarat: Fishing island keeps coronavirus at bay

RAJKOT: Luxuries like electricity and potable Narmada water may have touched its shores as recently as in April 2018, but this tiny fishing island, 600 metres away from Pipavav port, didn’t let the light of wisdom dim in all these 70 years of dark ages.
Villagers knew what good practices will keep them healthy and has proven its worth time and again, including in this second wave of the killer pandemic. This village, surrounded by Arabian sea, has a population of ten thousand people and not a single case of Covid-19 till now.
It’s not just luck that’s helping the fishermen and their families here stay safe at a time when the entire country is crumbling in the battle against pandemic, but their self preservation methods too. “The village is small and there is awareness among people.
The panchayat is distributing kadha and Ayurveda medicines to boost immunity but the villagers themselves avoid meeting outsiders. This is why those who go out for fishing dont return with infection.” explained Bhanuben Shiyal, Sarpanch of the village.
Shiyalbet falls in Jafrabad taluka of Armeli district and is totally dependent on Jafrabad and Rajula for all its needs. Almost 99 percent population of the village is engaged in fishing activity, while their exposure to the world outside is very minimal as ration and medicines comes in boats to the village. The fishermen only go for fishing in the deep seas and contact with mainland is almost a luxury. “We are also taking all the precautions since last year which have saved us till now,” Shiyal added.
Of the villages total population, 4,000 people go out to fish, while the rest including women and old people remain in the village.
District development officer (DDO) of Amreli, Tejas Parmar said, “The village recorded only two positive cases last year, while there has been not a single case in the second wave. We have completed 52 percent vaccination of the first dose for people above 45 years of age in the village.”
Parmar further said that no outsiders come into the village and only those who go for fishing leave in their boats. All education institutes are also closed and students too don’t need to go outside. Again, there is scant population of Amreli people in Jafrabad and Rajula taluka and so chances of getting infected from people visiting from Surat too is almost nil.
Female health workers from the sub primary health centre in the village are available to address any health related needs.