VASCO
Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Leo Rodrigues on Tuesday assured to instruct the garbage contractor to immediately clear garbage around electrical transformers at various locations in the municipal jurisdiction.
"We have received a letter from the electricity department that there is some garbage accumulated near transformers and this will not be allowed. Transformers are not a place to dump garbage and while the garbage can cause health hazards, the dry waste can also ignite with electrical sparks.”
“Besides, the garbage will also cause inconvenience to electricity staff who may have to attend calls during power outages. I will immediately direct the garbage collector to clear the area around electrical transformers on top priority," said Rodrigues.
Rodrigues also said the MMC plans to implement strict fines on people dumping garbage in the open.
"We face a huge issue of garbage on roadsides and quite often, people refuse to pay minimal fees to the garbage collector but spend for fuel to ride a bike and go far away to dump their garbage on roadsides.”
“It has been noticed that many people who dump garbage on roadsides or open spaces are well known, educated and rich people living in luxurious houses, contrary to the popular belief that garbage is dumped on roadsides by labourers staying in rented rooms.”
“We will begin a strong drive and start initiating fines on people dumping garbage all around and may even, if possible, get a machine like the traffic police to initiate spot fines. The fines will be hefty, rising each time the offence is repeated by the same person," said Rodrigues.
Electricity Department Assistant Engineer Sanjeev Mhalshekar had recently written to the MMC, stating that electricity department staff were unable to access or attend to emergencies since garbage had piled around electrical transformers.
"We have received a letter from the electricity department that there is some garbage accumulated near transformers and this will not be allowed. Transformers are not a place to dump garbage and while the garbage can cause health hazards, the dry waste can also ignite with electrical sparks.”
“Besides, the garbage will also cause inconvenience to electricity staff who may have to attend calls during power outages. I will immediately direct the garbage collector to clear the area around electrical transformers on top priority," said Rodrigues.
Rodrigues also said the MMC plans to implement strict fines on people dumping garbage in the open.
"We face a huge issue of garbage on roadsides and quite often, people refuse to pay minimal fees to the garbage collector but spend for fuel to ride a bike and go far away to dump their garbage on roadsides.”
“It has been noticed that many people who dump garbage on roadsides or open spaces are well known, educated and rich people living in luxurious houses, contrary to the popular belief that garbage is dumped on roadsides by labourers staying in rented rooms.”
“We will begin a strong drive and start initiating fines on people dumping garbage all around and may even, if possible, get a machine like the traffic police to initiate spot fines. The fines will be hefty, rising each time the offence is repeated by the same person," said Rodrigues.
Electricity Department Assistant Engineer Sanjeev Mhalshekar had recently written to the MMC, stating that electricity department staff were unable to access or attend to emergencies since garbage had piled around electrical transformers.
