MAPUSA
The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) is facing significant challenges in maintaining the cleanliness of the city due to a severe shortage of operational equipment, despite having sufficient manpower.
The shortage of adequate tools and vehicles has become a major impediment to efficient waste management in the city, which is divided into 20 wards. According to sources within the civic body, the council currently has a workforce of nearly 300 labourers dedicated to garbage collection and waste management.
However, the lack of essential equipment has severely hampered their ability to keep pace with the growing garbage collection needs.
Out of the 15 weed cutters that the council owns, only three are operational. This is grossly inadequate for the extensive area that requires regular maintenance. The situation is similarly dire when it comes to vehicles used for garbage collection. The council has only four functional trucks available to lift and transport garbage. Many of the other trucks are out of service, languishing in the garage due to a lack of maintenance and repairs.
This shortfall has created a bottleneck in the waste management process, with garbage often left uncollected for extended periods.
A former councillor of the Mapusa Municipal Council expressed frustration over the current state of affairs, attributing the problem not only to the lack of equipment but also to poor management within the council. “This council is not only short of equipment and trucks but it also lacks the will to provide proper service to the people of Mapusa. There is no proper management to allot duties to the staff and get work done,” the former councillor remarked.
The combination of inadequate equipment and perceived management inefficiencies has led to mounting complaints from residents about uncollected garbage and overgrown weeds in public spaces.
