The Government of India has directed all State Government and Union Territory (UT) administrations to review the situation of Covid 19 in their regions and advise the officials and field functionaries concerned to take immediate measures to mitigate the problem.
In a letter, dated 28 March 2020, addressed to the Principal Secretaries/Commissioners/Directors of Fisheries of all the States/UTs, L Shankar, Joint Commissioner (Fisheries), Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, points out that a large number of migrant workers from different States have been stranded on fishing vessels and fish-landing sites in unfamiliar locations across the country without any avenue to return to their own villages.
In this context, the officials and field functionaries concerned have been advised to take the following immediate measures:
1. To personally look into the situation and intervene as needed to ensure that the fishworkers are contacted and reassured about their safety;
2. To ensure that adequate food, water, shelter, essential sanitary supplies in the light of Covid 19, and wages are continued to be made available as per the directives issued by various central Ministries and State Governments in this regard;
3. To ensure that all boatowners and their organizations, as well as co-operative societies, are directed not to terminate employment during the lockdown period and ensure that fishworkers in their employment are kept safe;
4. To ensure that a tally of migrant workers, with their full names, residence details and a contact number, are made available in order to communicate back to their families about their condition; and
5. To ensure that their families in the respective States/UTs are supported with rations and essential supplies.
The Joint Commissioner (Fisheries) has also requested that the action/measures taken on the aforementioned points be forwarded to the Department of Fisheries at the earliest.
2020 ICSF