MARGAO
With roadside waste dumping the order of the day on the Sonsodo-Raia road, Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on Tuesday descended at the spot to send a stern warning to unscrupulous elements that they are taken to task for the illegal waste dumping.
He also disclosed plans to bring the Sonsodo-Raia under Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) surveillance cameras and also deploy security men to man the road in the next two days.
Saying that enough is enough, the Curtoriim MLA said that all types of waste, including chicken and meat, was finding its way along the roadside, posing a health hazard to the residents, besides an eyesore.
Reginaldo along with former Curtorim Sarpanch, Panch member Rui Menezes descended on the road on Tuesday morning to convey the clear message that the time has come to crack a whip against the violators.
“I had been cleaning the roadside for the last many months by deploying labourers. But, I feel that the time has come to crack a whip against the elements. The roadside is not a waste dump yard. People cannot dispose of their waste along the roadside,” he asserted, adding that many an accident has been reported on the road with the roadside waste sliding down on the main road.
“We now intend to put a mechanism in place, wherein the violators caught on the CCTV cameras or by the security personnel will be imposed hefty fines as per the approved fine structure. We will also make the violators clean up the entire road stretch as a punishment for illegal dumping,” he said, hoping that the measures will act as a deterrent for the violators.
Saying that he had always extended his help and assistance to the MLAs of Margao, Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai, Fatorda in addressing the Sonsodo imbroglio, Reginaldo said that he had raised the issue both within and outside the Legislative Assembly throughout his career.
Former Curtorim Sarpanch Rui Menezes said that waste dumping alongside the Sonsodo-Raia road has increased after the Margao municipality started manning the entrance gate to the Sonsodo dump. “The MLA had tried to keep the road clean and free from waste by employing labourers, but the time has now come to crack the whip,” Rui said.
