TRASH DRIVE
>> With 15 black spots, Calangute panchayat has the most number of roadside dumping sites along the popular coastal belt
>> The other two panchayats along the coastal belt “ Candolim and Anjuna have identified three and five black spots respectively
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MAPUSA:
With an eye on roadside garbage dumps, 11 panchayats in Bardez have identified 49 black spots while the only civic body “ Mapusa Municipal Council has found 14 such points where people were found to perennially dump garbage.
While the Mapusa civic authorities have ingeniously beautified the black spots to discourage people from dumping waste, most panchayats were to be grappling with the roadside dumps.
Acting on the direction of the Block Development Officer (BDO) out of 33 panchayats in Bardez, 11 have submitted a list of black spots in their area.
The remaining 22 panchayats have informed the BDO that there were no black spots in their jurisdiction.
Taking cognizance of the ever increasing roadside garbage dumps in the State, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had last month issued an order directing the panchayats and municipal bodies across the State to identify black spots and clean them.
With 15 black spots, Calangute panchayat has the most number of roadside dumping sites along the popular coastal belt.
Most of the black spots were located in the heavily populated area.
“Seven black spots have been completely cleared while eight others are still a problem. We have erected sign boards with instructions of ‘no dumping’ and ‘imposition of fines’,” said Shawn Martins, Sarpanch of Calangute.
He said security guards have also been posted at some of the complicated black spots to dissuade public from dumping waste in the open.
The other two panchayats along the coastal belt “ Candolim and Anjuna have identified three and five black spots respectively.
Assagao panchayat has six, Bastora five, Ucassaim-Punola four, Camurlim three and Siolim-Marna, Siolim-Oxel, Salvador-do-Mundo, and Tivim panchayats have two each.
Most panchayats said that people from surrounding villages dumped waste at the spots either early in the morning while going to work or late at nights.
Many of the panchayats were contemplating to install CCTV cameras to tackle the menace.
“We have put a system of door-to-door collection of dry and wet waste in our village which is running smoothly. It’s mostly people from other villagers that dump garbage at the black spots in our jurisdiction. We are seriously thinking of installing CCTV cameras at this spots,” said Jallinder Goankar, Sarpanch of Assagao.
He said the panchayat has been regularly clearing the garbage from the black spots.
Interestingly, the Mapusa civic body has hit a sweet spot by beautifying areas which were perennial garbage dump sites by the roadside.
The civic body has decorated a number of such black spots with flower pots and lawns giving the area an attractive look.
“The move to beautify the black spots has paid dividends. For more than a month after we started the initiative people have stopped dumping waste at those spots,” said Ryan Braganza, Mapusa Chairperson.
