CANACONA
Black spots have returned to tarnish Agonda’s world-acclaimed coastline, with garbage being dumped along various locations of the bypass leading to Agonda village.
Garbage dumps have been found at three different places along the bypass which connects the NH66 highway at the foot of Karmalghat at Gulem and the Agonda road at Dumane-Keri.
Agonda Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar has blamed residents who have rented out their premises, claiming that they have not made provisions to collect and effectively dispose of the waste.
“Those renting out their premises on a long-term basis need to provide or make available collection bins at their premises. These people do not keep their day-to-day waste outside to enable the panchayat’s garbage contractor to collect it. These people who stay on a rental basis then carry their garbage and dump them by the roadsides,” Naikgaunkar said.
Responding to the garbage dumped by the roadsides, Naikgaunkar said the panchayat will now engage additional hands to clear the garbage along the Agonda bypass at Gulem and along the Agonda road.
The Agonda bypass, which is in a secluded area, was earlier filled with garbage dumps at various sites along the road.
The Canacona-based NGO ‘Goenkar’ then took the initiative to clean these dumps and later, the Agonda panchayat began clearing the dumps and even installed signboards threatening action against those found throwing garbage/waste at the site.
This had an effect for some time as garbage dumps were not found anywhere along the Agonda bypass. However, these dumps have now resurfaced as tourism activities have resumed along Agonda’s famed coast.
“Some culprits have even destroyed the warning signboard installed on the road. If anybody is found dumping or transporting garbage on their vehicles at any time, they will be taken to task,” warned Naikgaunkar.
Locals have, however, suspected that some non-locals engaged in tourism activities at Agonda and Palolem have been dumping their waste by the roadside after dusk.
Naikgaunkar said shack operators had no reason or justification to throw garbage in open spaces.
“I do not think shack operators will dump garbage by the roadsides as the panchayat collects garbage from every shack along Agonda’s coast,” he said.
Residents have requested the Agonda panchayat to resume its practice of clearing garbage by the roadsides every fortnight to ensure cleanliness in the village, which has regularly been voted by travellers as one of the best beaches in the world.
