PANAJI
Ahead of the September 1 rollout of Goa's Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS), as many as 150 village panchayats and eight urban local bodies (ULBs) have issued no-objection certificates (NOCs), paving the way for the implementation of the State's bottle and can return system.
The Goa DRS Authority has also installed 100 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across the State, including 69 in North Goa and 31 in South Goa, forming the backbone of the collection network that will enable consumers to return empty beverage containers and instantly receive their deposit refunds.
Chairman of the Goa DRS Authority, Dr Anthony de Sa, said the level of preparedness reflected extensive coordination between the Authority, local bodies and industry stakeholders.
"What we are seeing today is the result of sustained coordination between the Authority, local governance bodies and industry. With our collection network in place and Panchayats and ULBs firmly on board, Goa is on track to set a benchmark for operationalising a deposit refund system at speed and scale," he said.
The Authority said nearly 1,000 hotels, restaurants and major alcoholic beverage companies have also been onboarded to the scheme, extending the deposit-refund network across Goa's hospitality and retail sectors ahead of its formal launch. Awareness campaigns and live demonstrations are also being conducted across the State to familiarise residents, tourists and businesses with the new system.
