the goan I network
MAPUSA
“Hoteliers and residents from neighbouring villages misuse the service by improperly dumping their garbage in the bins, which overflows. Cattle and dogs feed on this waste surrounding the bins, creating nuisance in the area where the bins are installed,” said Seby, a villager.
He suggested that the panchayat immediately remove all the garbage bins installed in the village.
Some other locals brought to the notice of the sarpanch that the garbage contractor continued to dump garbage at the old site even when a garbage treatment plant was at the service of the village.
“The contractor appears to be collecting garbage from other villagers and dumping at the site in Candolim. When only one garbage truck is available with the panchayat, how does so many garbage trucks dump garbage at the old site in Candolim,” a villager questioned.
Sarpanch, Sandra Fialho said all the garbage trucks must be belonging to the garbage contractor and confirmed that Candolim Panchayat had only one garbage truck.
Another villager urged the panchayat to close all the drains in the village, as a lot of people were dumping waste in the open drains.
A local suggested setting up of a monitoring committee to keep a tab on the garbage contractor. Raising the issue of sopo, a villager said the sopo contractor had become a source of terror, as he was threatening people while collecting the sopo (local tax).
“The areas for collection of sopo have not been demarcated. The contractor collects sopo from whoever and whichever area as per his whims and fancies,” Seby, a local said.
The sarpanch admitted of receiving complaints about the behaviour of the sopo contractor and would look into the matter.
Playing of loud music, stray cattle menace, operation of casino in the hotel, absence of toilet in the market, conversion of MDR road into highway were some of the several other issues raised by the villagers at the gram sabha.
