Cacra/Nauxi: Santosh Gauso may be the only fisherman in entire India, who was not worried over cyclonic warning when Tauktae was about to hit Goa. He had nothing to lose.
After fighting a losing battle with State Fisheries Department to get compensated for destruction of his canoe, in the cyclonic wind that hit twin Cacra-Nauxi villages on July 25, 2019, Santosh has almost given up. His claim for compensation has been struck down on technical grounds by Fisheries department.
He is facing a piquant situation. While Fisheries department wants weather warning from Indian Metrological Department of the cyclone, the local fishermen claim that the cyclone was not a pan-Goa phenomenon but had hit only two fishing villages. There are eye-witnesses to the devastation. But government record wants proof.
Santosh lost his canoe which was crushed under a tree. The vessel was beyond repairs. He is now depending on rented canoe to continue his fishing activity to eke out living.
His friend Sanjay Pereira has been helping him to get the compensation from the Fisheries Department. But the formalities are not in their favour.
“The fisheries department had conducted a survey in which it was established that the canoe was actually destroyed,” Santosh says.
But the file is stuck as department wants Police FIR and also weather warning. Being a cyclonic wind that did not pan across Goa, the weather warning is not available.
Santosh now hopes that the fisheries department should use their corpus fund to help him financially.
Santosh is currently paying a whopping amount to get the canoe rented out to him. This has made his life miserable. He is staring at the loses as even the constant winds and unfavourable condition has kept him away from the Sea.
