Mapusa civic body turns children's park into temporary garbage site

MESSY AFFAIR: Garbage bins overflowing with waste sit inside the children's park at Altinho, Mapusa, drawing strong criticism from local residents.

MAPUSA

The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) is facing mounting public backlash after a children’s park at Altinho has been temporarily converted into a garbage collection point, amid an escalating waste management crisis.

The move comes in the wake of a recent ban on dumping garbage at the Assagao plateau, which has left the civic body scrambling for alternatives.

What was once a lively play area for children in a peaceful residential zone has now been overrun by large waste bins filled with unsegregated garbage.

The foul stench permeating the area has sparked outrage among local residents, who say the site is entirely inappropriate for garbage storage.

“It’s absolutely disgraceful. This used to be a clean, safe space where my grandchildren would play. Now, the whole area stinks and the kids can’t even come near it. This is a residential area, not a dump yard,” said a local living just 50 metres from the park.

Echoing similar sentiments, another resident said, “This is poor planning and an insensitive move by the municipality. We pay taxes, but instead of solving the garbage problem, they bring it right into our neighbourhoods. It’s disgusting and unsafe.”

Local councillor Kishori Korgaonkar, who represents the ward, admitted that the garden has been temporarily repurposed for waste collection point due to the lack of space elsewhere.

“The garden is being used as a pick-up point for garbage collected from our ward alone. This is a temporary measure. Very soon, renovation work on the park will begin and this garbage point will be shifted elsewhere,” Korgaonkar told this reporter.

However, for many residents, assurances from the council are little comfort. The growing heaps of garbage and the strong odour have made life difficult in the locality.

“This situation has been ongoing for over a week now. We’re all suffering. Customers don’t want to come near the shop because of the smell. The municipal council needs to act immediately. Temporary or not, this is unacceptable,” said a shopkeeper nearby.

The MMC has been under increasing pressure following the closure of the Assagao garbage site, a decision made after protests by environmental groups and locals citing ecological damage and health hazards.

Since then, complaints about uncollected garbage piling up in various parts of Mapusa have become a daily affair.

While the civic body claims it is doing its best under the circumstances, residents accuse it of mismanagement and a lack of foresight.

“We are trying our level best to manage the situation. But people don’t help either. They throw garbage anywhere they want, even when bins are provided. This makes it very hard to maintain cleanliness,” said an MMC sanitation worker on condition of anonymity.

The MMC has yet to announce a permanent solution to the garbage crisis, but with growing discontent among locals, pressure is mounting for swift and effective action.