the goan I network
OLD GOA
It’s been almost a year since the Chimbel panchayat began door-to-door waste collection in the village in a bid to tackle the growing garbage menace.
However despite the best of efforts, issues on the waste front continue to haunt the panchayat, particularly the dark spots, where people continue to dump waste as well as getting unsegregated waste.
Now, the panchayat has decided to rope in leaders and representatives of religious institutions like temples, churches and mosques in a bid to create awareness among people to resolve the garbage issue.
But at the meeting of leaders and representatives of religious institutions along with the garbage management committee members on Thursday, only a few representatives turned up and they included Telugu Baptist Church, Shree Ayappa Temple, Shree Ram Mandir and others.
A slide show was presented at the meeting which highlighted how animals and birds are getting affected by consuming plastic which is thrown on the roadsides, in the rivers, etc.
Photographs of different black spots in Chimbel were also displayed to the participants highlighting how, as the day passes, garbage is turning into an eyesore.
The leaders and representatives of religious institutions were advised to create awareness among their followers on the need to segregate waste into dry and wet and give the same to the panchayat workers who collect the same on a daily basis.
“We want the cooperation of the leaders of religious institutions to educate their followers not to throw garbage on the streets and to give segregate waste to the panchayat workers,” said panchayat secretary Lency Juliao, while opining that religious leaders have far more influence on their followers.
It was further decided to hold a special awareness programme on garbage management for the Indira Nagar Muslim community after Ramadan.
At the meeting, it was also decided to serve notices to shops, kiosks, restaurants, bars and other commercial establishments not to use plastic bags.
Those found using plastic bags even after service of the notice would be imposed fines as per provisions of law, the meet decided.
