the goan I network
MARGAO
With solid waste management rules mandating bulk waste generators, including housing societies, to treat their own waste, the Margao Municipal Council on Sunday kicked off an exercise to spread awareness amongst the city’s 70-odd housing societies to go for waste treatment with a promise to exempt them from the payment of garbage tax.
Representatives of around 14 housing societies attended a camp at the Nalanda Apartments, Rawanfond, on Sunday morning, wherein MMC officials briefed them how they should go about the work as per the solid waste management rules. While civic officials promised all help and assistance for the housing societies to put the system in place, some of the representatives of the housing societies raised the question of space, with many pointing out to lack of space in their housing complexes.
While the MMC officials comprising Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar, municipal engineer Diniz D’Mello, sanitary inspector Viraj Arabekar and others pointed out that the housing societies are all mandated by the solid waste management rules, they, however, promised to work out a mechanism wherein they are exempted from the payment of garbage tax.
Margao MLA and Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat, made a plea to the housing societies to extend cooperation to the civic body in implementing the rules on bulk waste generators. He promised to take up the government as well as the civic body to ensure that it exempts the housing societies from tax.
Social worker Euleterio Carneiro explained the provisions of the solid waste management rules 2016 and urged the societies to comply with its provisions. He volunteered himself to be available at any time to offer scientific solutions to the issue.
Dr Sneha Bhagwat appealed to those present to follow the best practices in treating the waste as is followed by many housing societies in Margao which are affordable .
Margao municipal area has around 70-odd housing societies, each having more than 40 housing units, which now come under the ambit of the solid waste management rules, 2016, mandating the societies to have their own waste treatment system via composting units.
Sanitary inspector Viraj Arabekar said the civic body has identified the housing societies across the city, adding that the civic officials will visit all the housing societies before implementing bulk waste generators scheme in the city.
