CANACONA
The Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) has been blamed for the waste strewn all around the Agonda-Canacona stretch at the entrance of Garbage Treatment Plant road.
CMC operates the barricaded and locked gate across the Canacona-Agonda MDR road, from where about a 200-metre stretch proceeds to the CMC's Garbage Treatment Plant (GTP) at Dumane.
Incidentally, the road entrance itself including inside the barricaded gate (operated by CMC) towards the GTP plant is always found with strewn garbage. Strong garbage stench from the GTP, besides the strewn garbage rents the atmosphere with foul smell, besides the stray cattle and dogs are regularly seen feasting on the wastes, including plastics.
Though CMC compactors pass through the area regularly, no municipal workers pick up or clean the entrance area or the road.
"The sufferers are the neighbouring residents and the motorists on Agonda-Canacona road. informed a resident of Agonda.
Incidentally, CMC has set up the GTP in the eco-sensitive zone of area (Dumane) situated at one corner of the revenue village of Shristhal panchayat, close to a residential developing area.
Refusing to clean the strewn garbage on the Canacona-Agonda MDR road, especially at the GTP road entrance at Dumane, municipal sources, however, maintain that the garbage itself is dumped by Agonda and Khola residents travelling on the road.
Refuting the allegation, Agonda Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar stated that the panchayat already has a system to collect garbage from the residents as well as from tourism establishments. "The garbage seen strewn around the CMC's GTP entrance road and the surroundings is either fallen from the garbage compactors of the CMC or by unscrupulous elements. CMC should make arrangements to clear this roadside garbage infestation at Dumane as the GTP located in the Shristhal panchayat jurisdiction is operated by the municipality," he said.
A few residents from Dumane have also blamed the municipal authorities for vitiating the healthy atmosphere of the otherwise forest area with the spread of filth all around.
Motorists plying on the road has also blamed the municipal workers for not picking up their own garbage dropped from their compactors while transporting to the GTP.
"If it is not strewn by them, then how the garbage heaps are visible inside the gate unlocked and locked by the municipality to transport garbage to the GTP?" asked a motorist, irked over the foul smell vitiating the atmosphere in the area.
