MARGAO
Hazard a guess how many black spots is the Margao Municipal Council playing host to the commercial capital when the Civic body had launched the door-to-door waste collection project over half a decade ago?
A whopping 62 black spots spread across the city have been identified by the civic officials. Take note, officials in the know pointed out that the number of black spots has come down from 85 to 62 in the city after the issue came under the High Court scanner.
The Margao civic body, which employs over 300-employees, however, is faced with a ticklish question -- is there any vigil maintained at the 62-odd black spots dotting the commercial capital to penalize the unscrupulous persons disposing of their waste at unauthorized places?
A senior official pointed out that junior engineers and supervisors, besides field staff such as market and sanitary inspectors, all should be roped in to catch those dumping garbage and penalize them under solid waste management rules.
The official added: “Unless surveillance is maintained at the back spots and violators penalised, the number of these stinking points may further increase in the city. The High Court is serious in addressing the issue of black spots across the state and has made senior officials heading the civic bodies accountable”.
Meanwhile, Tuesday saw the MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes lodging a complaint with the Margao police against a resident found dumping mixed waste along the Ring Road near ROB Aquem-Margao.
In his complaint, the Chief Officer said a municipal supervisor clicked the photograph of dumping, but the official was threatened by the person.
The Chief Officer has requested the police to register a case against the vehicle owner and attach it, with a plea to release it only after the penalty is paid to the municipal council.
