Gaurang Prabhu/ Goemakrponn
MARGAO: The second wave of COVID19, which has entire State and the country in its grip, has hit the commercial capital of Goa badly.
The Margao city has the highest number of active cases which is 2837 in the State.
Goemkarponn tried to find out the reasons behind the spike and it was learnt that Municipality elections was the major culprit.
Municipal Elections
It is learnt that many candidates and supporters tested positive during the campaign of Margao municipality elections, few workers of different political parties lost their life during campaign.
The campaigns also witnessed huge gatherings, which led to spread of Covid19 in city.
As the whole of the nation battles the deadly 2nd wave of Covid 19 with cases surging up everyday, we tried to take a sneak peek at ground level in conversation with what every common man has to say of ‘Why Margao is slowly becoming the hotspot of Pandemic?” “Who is to be blamed?”
On election day, a case was filed by RO on one candidate for moving out while he was under home quarantine.
Fatorda police booked the candidates Arthur D’Silva for moving out on voting day when he was tested positive.
Sources also said that his election agent also lost his life due to Covid.
Delay in Lockdown
People also allege that the delay in implementation of lockdown was another major cause of the spike.
Densely populated areas with major portion of the population constituting labourers, centralised markets forever overtly crowded with little attention to the mantras of “’stay home, stay safe” and ‘social distancing’.
The role of municipality elections and carnival adding to worsening of the situation. These and many such questions that ponder around as the COVUID19 cases hit the rise.
Are we caucious enough to follow the SOP’s strictly?
We Madgaonkars always take things for granted, we don’t give importance to general hygiene and cleanliness. The best example to this is, we see hundreds of migrant workers gathered around daily behind Margao Municipal Council, Raillway Flyover, Khareband junction, station road, etc with a hope to earn their daily bread, they eat, drink, litter openly on roadside.
Everyday hundreds of people gather for shopping at footpath near MMC. At station road every night people gather to buy cheap vegetables.
Wholesale fish market, SGPDA market where thousands of people come to buy their daily requirements. Without keeping any social distancing, sometimes they don’t even wear proper masks. All the above activities were carried on under the nose of the Administration of Margao like Margao Municipal Council, Police Department, Collectorate, Local Representatives who didn’t take any precautions for strict implementation of SoPs to maintain social distancing and wearing of masks.
Apart from all these regular issues, the delayed elections of Margao Municipal Councils which were declared and forced by the court to be held during the time when Covid cases were on rise with no set of proper restrictions imposed by Election Commission nor Dy Collector on the political parties, candidates nor their supporters.
Candidates were moving around their wards along with their Political god fathers and party workers in large numbers This was one of the major cause which hit the entire Margao and Fatorda area having maximum Covid positive cases.
“The Ignorance of the severity of the 2nd wave of Covid 19 on the part of general public and the failure of the administration to be little more responsible and extra cautious led to the present situation being out of control. However, what is done cannot be undone but my sincere appeal to general public ‘Let’s Mask up’ and stay home for a while to avoid further disaster,” says Vivek Naik, businessman of Margao.
He said the Margão municipality should have followed the same norms as they followed during last years lockdown.
“Gandhi market area was managed well with alternate shops functioning in 2020. It kept a check on the crowd as well as social distancing. Later Government focus was towards Elections & Government has given priority to elections rather than people’s lives. Infact, I recall my statement in March 2020 that Zilla Elections should be conducted only when COVID is over. However, we saw that Government doesn’t pay any heed to good advice given by people,” he said.
Royla Fernandies of Benaulim says people lives sho says, “uld come first.
“We go for elections to serve people and not to severe them. Social distancing norms were never followed in the city even on regular days. So elections can’t be sole reason,” she says.
Parasher Pai Khot says “Margao is a place where migrants and labours are settled. Their approach and education is very less as compare to the other parts of Goa. Awareness is also very less.”
Another local Nitin Prabhu says “Cases are increasing in whole of Salcette. as Margao is centralised place all people from surrounding villages of Salcete come for shopping to Margao and the markets are very congested”.
He says the casual approach of people is main reason for spike.
While spike can be attributed to elections to Municipal Council, one cannot ignore that Margao and Fatorda have wholesale Markets for fish, Fruits, vegetables, meat etc.
There are labourers loitering around. Markets in Margao are usually packed specially new market where there is no space to even move freely.
Recently, there was a TV Reality show shooting going on in Ravindra Bhavan where many staff have been reported positive for Covid.
As it’s a commercial capital not only people from Salcete come here for shopping but people from other taluka also land for cheap products.
“The South District Hospital and ESI hospital which are Covid hospitals are almost in the city and patients relatives make a mad rush. These relative’s, who throng to provide the required things, themselves are positive asymptotic and pass the virus when they do shopping in and around the hospital for emergency or even in Pharmacy,” says Sai Malkarnekar of Benaulim.
“More than elections it is lackadaisical attitude of public which is responsible for the high numbers. Margao unlike other cities of Goa is a central marketplace and commercial centre for entire Goa. However, it lacks properly planned markets and shopping areas. Gandhi Market and New Market are worst examples of poor urban design and planning. Hence all precautions against Covid 19 go for a toss in Margao. Other factors like illegal development and construction of slums also contribute to woes of Margao,” Ramprasad Prabhudessai of Margao says.
Now with Margao almost reaching 2837 the officials have not yet taken decisions to declare hotspots or containment zone.
Everyday nearly 200 to 300 new cases are found.
Looking at the number of increasing cases the officials and authorities should act immediately or else the situation will go out of hand.
