Captain of Ports Issues Preventive Guidelines to Boat Owners to Curb Vector-Borne Diseases
Panaji | With the monsoon season approaching, the Captain of Ports (CoP) has issued preventive directives to all boat and vessel owners to help curb the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya.
The advisory is addressed to owners and operators of barges, watersports boats, passenger launches, ferry boats, canoes, fishing trawlers, tourist and cruise boats, as well as those managing docks, ship repair and manufacturing yards.
Key measures include:
Barge owners must ensure that no rainwater accumulates in cargo holds and must drain any collected water regularly. Tyres used as fenders should have holes drilled to prevent water stagnation.
Owners of small crafts and canoes are advised to cover vessels with tarpaulin or keep them overturned when not in use, to prevent water accumulation. Any rainwater collected must be drained out routinely.
Labourers working on vessels, trawlers, docks, and shipyards must be screened for malaria and issued health cards by the Directorate of Health Services.
Yard and dock incharges must also prevent water accumulation in the premises during the rainy season.
The CoP has directed strict compliance with these measures. Any violation will be viewed seriously and could attract stringent action.
These preventive steps aim to minimize mosquito breeding grounds and reduce the risk of outbreaks during the high-risk monsoon period.
