Citizens demand to put system in place for collection, disposal of waste; Say doctors prescribe coconut water to patients for its health benefits
MARGAO
After the ban imposed by the Margao Municipal Council, citizens may suddenly find it hard to come across tender coconuts across the nook and corner of the commercial capital since the last two days.
Citizens, however, have urged the civic body to put a mechanism in place for the collection and disposal of the coconut waste instead of an outright ban since tender coconut water is prescribed by doctors to patients for its health benefits.
Meanwhile, fire brigade rushed to Comba on late Friday night after coconut waste was engulfed in a major fire.
Most of the tender coconut vendors seemed to have wound up operations after the Margao Municipal inspectors upon instructions of the Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar and Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar ordered a ban on sale of tender coconuts by the illegal vendors. The reason being that illegal tender coconut vendors have mushroomed across the city and the coconut waste reaching unimaginable proportions. The action against the illegal tender coconut vendors was ordered after the MMC was caught red-handed in the action of disposing of coconut waste in neighbouring Benaulim village.
A local Fatorda resident Milagres Fernandes has called for a system for the collection and disposal of coconut waste from the city. “The ward councillors should be told to find out the place where the coconut vendors are disposing of the coconut waste. Unless there is a system in place, the waste would find its way to the open spaces, road sides and drains as well,” he said.
He added: Doctors prescribe tender coconut water for the patients in the hospitals. Hundreds of people who go for jogging at the Fatorda SAG grounds rush to the tender coconut vendors to have the coconut water. That’s why, I have insisted that the MMC put a system in place to tackle the coconut waste.”
Slamming the MMC for lifting away the waste mound from open space near the KTC bus to Benaulim, Milagres said he and the residents of Madel and Fatorda had been complaining to the civic body to stop the nuisance. He, however, has hastened to add that dumping the waste in the neighbouring village is not a solution to the waste issue.
