Goa asks boat owners to take precautions to prevent vector borne diseases

PANAJI: With the monsoons fast approaching, the Captain of Ports department has directed all marine vessels including barges and canoes to ensure that water does not collect and act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Captain of Ports Vikas Gaunekar has issued the directions as part of a statewide effort to prevent vector borne diseases such as Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya, which typically increases during the monsoons.
The CoP has outlined five preventive measures that need to be taken to prevent vector borne diseases and has warned that violation of the directions “will be viewed seriously."
The directions have been issued to all barge owners, watersports boats owners, canoe owners and all other boat owners.
"The owners/masters of the barges should ensure that no rainwater is accumulated in the cargo hold of the barges. The water collected should be drained out regularly from the barges," said Gaunekar in his order.
Masters of the barges and other inland vessels have been asked to ensure that no water is allowed to stagnate in tyres which are used as fenders.
"The simplest way could be drilling a hole at the bottom of the tyres so that the water drains out. The owners of the other small vessels, crafts, canoes, watersports boats should properly cover their vessels with tarpaulin during monsoon or they should keep their boats upside down during monsoon season," said Gaunekar.
He also said that owners of barges and other inland vessels must ensure that the labourers engaged to work on the fishing trawlers and other vessels or at the jetties need to be screened for malaria and must possess health cards issued by the Directorate of Health Services.
"You may be aware that the incidence of vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya usually is on the increase during the monsoons due the increase in mosquito breeding habitats subsequent to the rain water collection. As such in order to prevent the occurrence of these diseases during the monsoon, should undertake the preventative measures during the monsoon at the earliest," said Gaunekar.
The directives apply to passenger boats, fishing trawlers, tourist boats, cruise boats and even privately owned yachts.