MAPUSA
The Moira gram sabha meeting witnessed strong reactions from villagers over the growing problem of garbage dumping near the Moira bridge and the increasing menace of stray dogs in the village.
Residents expressed their displeasure over waste being dumped at the bridge while entering Moira, saying it created a poor first impression of the village. Villagers pointed out that mounds of garbage were being dumped along the bridge and into the river, besides flowers and other religious material being thrown along with plastic carry bags.
“When people enter the village, they are welcomed with heaps of garbage dumped near the bridge and into the river. It gives a very bad impression of our otherwise beautiful village,” a villager said at the meeting.
It was also pointed out that despite previous efforts by the panchayat to clean the area, the problem had resurfaced.
The Moira panchayat had earlier undertaken a cleanliness drive and installed a CCTV camera at the spot, which had acted as a deterrent against illegal dumping.
However, Sarpanch Sagar Naik informed the gram sabha that the CCTV camera installed at the site was no longer functioning.
He added that although the area falls under the jurisdiction of the Bastora panchayat, the Moira panchayat had taken the initiative to install surveillance in the interest of preventing dumping.
“The camera has become defective and is not functioning. Since then, people have started dumping waste again. We will try to find a solution to this issue,” Naik said.
Local youth assured the gram sabha that they would clean the garbage along the bridge area on Monday.
The issue of stray dogs also dominated discussions at the meeting, with residents raising concerns over packs of stray dogs roaming on village roads.
Villagers warned that the growing number of strays posed a threat to public safety, particularly to senior citizens and children. “We are seeing stray dogs moving in groups on village roads. This is a disturbing trend and needs to be stopped,” a resident said.
The panchayat assured villagers that the concerns raised would be taken up with the concerned authorities.
