PANAJI
The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has initiated the process of appointing a contractor to take on the colossal task of clearing litter from national highways, State highways, and district roads across the State.
The move comes as part of a government push to tackle mounting garbage along major public roads and improve the State’s image as a tourist destination.
According to the tender floated by GWMC, the highway waste clearance will be divided into three operational zones -- North (129 km per day), Central (155 km per day), and South (135 km per day).
The selected contractor will be responsible for removing waste up to 10 metres on either side of the road, segregating wet and dry waste, and transporting it to authorised facilities at Saligao, Cacora, or the biomedical waste centre at Kundaim.
The tender mandates the use of GPS-enabled pickup vehicles and requires workers to carry GPS-linked identification wearables to ensure accountability. Waste collection will be carried out in QR-coded bags, allowing the corporation to track both the quantity and the location of garbage collected.
Real-time monitoring will be facilitated through a dedicated GWMC mobile application. The operational requirements include deploying at least one worker for every 4 km stretch and one covered pickup vehicle for every 35 km. In addition, a quick response team must be available to handle emergency clearance situations.
To ensure compliance, the government has proposed stringent penalties for lapses. Contractors will face fines of Rs 5,000 for each uncleared black spot, Rs 1,000 per km per day for missed cleaning schedules, and Rs 2,500 for each instance of garbage or leachate spillage during transportation.
Officials said the tender also specifies financial, labour, and operational criteria to ensure that only capable agencies are selected. “This initiative is designed not just to clean up highways but also to introduce accountability and transparency in waste management,” a senior GWMC official noted.
The project is expected to significantly improve the cleanliness of Goa’s roads, which have often been marred by litter, particularly during peak tourist seasons. With technology-driven monitoring and strict enforcement, authorities hope to set a new benchmark in public space management across the State.
