AGNELO PEREIRA
MAPUSA
Call it a war against garbage or just plain Swachh Anjuna.
The little coastal village infamous for the drug trade is making waves in a direction that will make any Goan proud.
With an intention to create awareness among locals and tourists alike, the Anjuna panchayat has launched a mammoth cleanliness drive in all the 11 wards of the village including public places.
Playing the lead role, Anjuna Sarpanch Savio Almeida has managed to invigorate his panch members and along with the villagers are moving from ward to ward to clear the mess by the road side and open places.
“I would like to call it Swacch Anjuna Abhiyan. The main aim is to create awareness among our locals and the tourists to ensure that the village remains clean. We also want inculcate the importance of segregation of waste among the locals,” Almeida said.
The drive which has been going on for more than a week now has been gaining traction, with locals joining in droves for the worthy cause.
To motivate young locals, the panchayat has distributed T-shirts and gloves to the enthusiastic contributors.
Surprisingly, the rains have not deterred the spirit of the villagers as people have been moving around the whole day in bid to clear their backyard.
Believing in the adage that charity begins at home, the panchayat has also taken steps to ensure every household does its bit to segregate waste in their homes.
On Independence Day, the panchayat distributed black and green garbage bins to every household for collection of dry and wet waste.
“We have distributed 7,000 bins to villagers. Each household was given two bins so that segregation is done at source and then handed over to the garbage collector,” Almedia said.
The panchayat has also identified 18 public spots in the village and installed bigger garbage bins in cages to avoid rummaging by strays and cattle.
So far, the response has been great and the drive has become talking point in the village.
“With the kind of public support we are getting, we are sure to make Anjuna village one of the cleanest panchayats in Goa,” the sarpanch said. Why not? If the panchayat and the villagers keep up the spirit and the tempo they are bound to achieve greater heights.
And maybe, just maybe, manage to erase the village’s name associated with drugs and better known for its cleanliness.
