MARGAO
When newly-elected Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira visited the Municipal garage at Old market a week ago, he heard a host of grievances from the Municipal workers, especially those working on the garbage collection and disposal front.
Amongst those were a group of garbage workers engaged in garbage collection, making a fervent plea to the Civic Chief to give additional workers in lifting the hundreds of waste-filled bins from across the city.
Reason: Not all these heavy waste-laden bins are lifted by the hydraulic garbage compactors, leaving the task of lifting bins, not just one, ten or 20, but dozens of them, to this labourers manually every day throwing up a moot question “ when will the Margao Municipality provide the much-needed relief to these beleaguered workers when the Civic body is flush with funds from the Finance Commission amounting to over Rs 30-odd crores?
The Municipal Chairperson was quick to issue instructions to the concerned supervisors to provide additional manpower to beef up the gang of labourers lifting the heavy garbage bins. The question, however, remains unanswered since the last half-a-decade whether the Civic workers are destined to lift the heavy bins, as the nature of the job poses health hazards when mechanical handling of the waste is a norm in garbage collection.
The Goan had highlighted the plight of the Municipal workers during the previous term of the Civic body, with then Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai promising to get additional compactors to make the garbage collection work mechanical as far as possible.
The ground reality, however, remains unchanged, with the stressed out workers giving vent to their work load and pain to the new Civic Chief for redressal.
Inquiries by The Goan has revealed that the MMC has a fleet of around seven garbage compactors, including the three vehicles which were procured in the last two years. Of the seven hydraulic vehicles, only four are in working condition, while the remaining three are awaiting repairs and maintenance.
In the absence of the full fleet of the mechanical compactors on the roads, the heavy garbage bins are being manually lifted by the workers engaged on garbage collection.
Sympathizing with the field workers, Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes, however, said it is for the Council to take a decision to go for the new garbage compactors. In fact, the Chief Officer said the Municipality has in its coffers over Rs 30-crore funds under the 14th Finance Commission, which the Council can very well utilize to purchase the new compactors. “Funds under the Finance Commission are required to be utilized only for specific purpose, including sanitation. I will also discuss the matter with the Council Chief on the matter’, he added.
General Secretary of the Goa Municipal Employees Association Anil Shirodkar said it is high time the Margao Municipal Council takes a close look at the working condition of the workers. “At least on humanitarian grounds, the Council should go in for mechanical handling of the garbage by inducting additional compactors in the fleet”, Anil said.
FLEET AGEING, MINIMUM FIVE MORE
COMPACTORS NEEDED ON PRIORITY
A few compactors in the Margao Municipal garage at Old market. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council is in need of at least five garbage compactors, if not more, to streamline the daily waste collection in the city.
A visit to the Municipal garage at Old market revealed that around four compactors, including three which were purchased in the last two years, are in working condition, while another three are awaiting repairs.
If officials are to be believed, the Municipality requires minimum five more compactors on priority, given that the four compactors it its fleet are ageing and prone to frequent breakdowns due to wear and tear. “The City Corporation of Panjim has a fleet of compactors to handle the daily garbage. The MMC requires minimum five compactors on priority to meet the requirements. For, the four old compactors have outlived their utility because of wear and tear. They were purchased around a decade ago and hence need urgent replacement”, remarked an official in the know.
Officials pointed out that the process to purchase new compactors new compactors would not consume much time if the Civic body goes in for the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Portal.
The Officials further pointed out that since the MMC is flush with funds from the Finance Commission, a small fraction of the funds can be used to purchase the compactors.
