MAPUSA
North Goa District Collector Ankit Yadav has stepped up action against poor solid waste management, directing the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) and the Calangute and Arambol panchayats to immediately address waste management violations.
The Collector has invoked powers under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, warning that failure to comply with the directions could lead to strict legal action.
The action follows the Supreme Court’s monitoring of the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 across the country. The North Goa Collector had formed a Special Cell and Taluka Level Teams to inspect waste management practices in local bodies.
Based on inspection reports, directions have been issued to the three local bodies, which have been asked to submit compliance reports within seven days.
The most serious violations were reported in Mapusa. During an inspection on July 20, officials found garbage dumped at the Mapusa Sub-Yard, KTCL Bus Stand and a lane opposite the Mapusa Municipal Garden near Vrundawan Hotel.
The inspection also found that fresh mixed waste was being dumped at the Assagao dumpsite, despite the Goa Waste Management Corporation completing the remediation of around 1.85 lakh cubic metres of legacy waste between 2021 and 2024.
A 2025 survey by the corporation estimated that nearly 99,947 cubic metres of fresh waste had accumulated in Survey Nos 144 and 145 at Assagao.
The report stated that the Goa State Pollution Control Board had earlier directed the council to consolidate the waste into a single heap and cover it with tarpaulin sheets to prevent rainwater from entering, or shift it to the Cunchelim facility. However, the council had failed to comply.
Inspectors also found unsegregated municipal waste dumped in open areas within the council’s jurisdiction.
The Collector has directed the MMC to scientifically treat and dispose of the waste at Assagao, restore the reclaimed land, clear the dump within a week, improve daily sweeping and waste collection, monitor garbage blackspots, take action against offenders and conduct public awareness campaigns.
The council has been asked to submit a detailed compliance report with photographs and documents within seven days.
Similar directions have been issued to the Arambol and Calangute panchayats.
In Arambol, a Taluka Level Team inspection on July 23 found that an open space opposite Hotel Prathamesh Restaurant was being repeatedly used to dump household waste.
Mixed waste was also found behind the hotel near an active scrapyard, while unsegregated waste was noticed at other open locations.
The panchayat has been asked to monitor the identified blackspots, stop illegal dumping and ensure scientific waste management.
In Calangute, inspectors found fish waste and other garbage being disposed of in an unhygienic manner at the village fish market.
Open drains and dustbins displaced by strong winds along the Calangute-Baga beach approach road were also highlighted in the report.
The Collector has directed the panchayat to cover drains, secure dustbins, remove accumulated waste and maintain regular monitoring of blackspots.
The Collector warned that failure to comply with directions issued under the Environment (Protection) Act and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 would invite further action under environmental laws.
