It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell which city in the country is the cleanest. The reason: a multiplicity of surveys and reports. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi
launched his Swachh Bharat Mission there have been three surveys “ one each by the Quality Council of India, the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Central Pollution
control Board and a third by the Centre for Science and Environment. Naturally, each arrived at a different result because each had a different criteria or a different approach to
the survey. So which city in India is really the cleanest? According to the latest survey conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, Panaji along with Alappuzha in
Kerala and Mysuru are the cleanest in the country because they have a garbage collection and disposal system that works. We have no idea how the system works in Alappuzha or Mysuru, but in Panaji, the collection system seems to work quite well.
The system for composting and disposal is not as efficient as
CSE thinks it is. For one, Panaji still
does not have a garbage treatment
plant, something that was probably
missed by the CSE. It is perhaps the
only city to have a garbage dump
bang in the middle, to be more precise,
on the parade ground. Did the
surveyors descend on Panaji after
this mountain of waste was covered
by blue tarpaulin?
It is common knowledge that Panaji has been struggling to
set up a garbage plant on 1.70 lakh sq mts of land acquired
for the purpose at Bainguinim near Old Goa. Why? Because its
short on cash and double short on political will. Meanwhile an
alternate plant is being developed behind Heera petrol pump
near the main bus stand. Until one of these plants becomes
a reality waste will continue to be dumped at Patto, which is
considered the Nariman Point of Goa. Depending on the direction
of the wind, people who visit the area are reminded of
the government’s failure to find a permanent solution to the
garbage problem.
On the positive side, the city does have an efficient collection
system with segregation-at-source being strictly adhered to. Of
the 95 composting stations scattered all over the city about 75
are working and residents of the city have to pat themselves
on the back for making this system work, more importantly
for attempting to find solutions within the city and nearly succeeding
at it.
Panaji is clean by most standards. And a real test for the level
of cleanliness is a trip through the back alleys which, most
will agree, are relatively cleaner. This was not achieved over
night, but in fact, was 20 years in the making. The important
turns in this long journey came when the city decided to get
rid of bins, which was followed by segregation at source. Construction
of a garbage treatment plant should have been the
next step, but politicians and the not-in-my-backyard attitude
conspired to stop this otherwise fruitful journey in its tracks.
Despite this setback, Panaji is inching forward, but is still has
to deal with the mountain of garbage at the Campal parade
ground before it can triumphantly say, ‘we have succeeded’.
