the goan I network
SANGUEM
The Quepem Municipal Council (QMC) has issued a public notice inviting feedback or objections from public on the council’s proposal to declare Quepem municipality a garbage free town.
Speaking on the proposal and the public notice issued by the council, QMC Chairperson Dayesh Naik said the council has given 15 days to the public to file their suggestions and/or objections, if any, failing which the QMC will go ahead in declaring Quepem town as a garbage free area.
“Prior to issuing the public notice, the QMC has thoroughly worked on the issue and since the last eight months, has pressed additional machinery and manpower to work on garbage collection in all wards of the municipality.”
“While earlier the municipality used to collect garbage only from individual houses through municipal workers, the council has now deployed additional manpower to collect garbage from high-rise buildings as well.”
The QMC chairperson said the council has already removed garbage bins from dumping spots in the municipality and has, instead, put signboards at these places warning public of fines, if they found dumping garbage at any open place in the municipality.
“Unlike other municipal councils in Goa, the QMC has its own garbage treatment plant at Pedamoll-Quepem, which is operated by a Mumbai-based firm and the QMC pays Rs 2.65 lakh per month to operate the plant.”
“The garbage plant has a capacity of 10 tonnes and segregated wet waste is used in making compost, which is later sold by the council for Rs 5 per kg,” said Naik.
“While the accumulated plastic bags are taken by Goa State Pollution Control Board, some plastic items like bottles, cans, etc are also sold by the council to generate minimal income,” claimed Naik.
He informed that the QMC has provided two bins for each household for separate collection of dry and wet waste, which is later collected by municipal workers and transported to the municipal-owned garbage disposal plant.
“The QMC charges a fee of Rs 60 per month from households for the garbage collection, while a fee of around Rs 600-800 is charged from commercial establishments for the same.”
In a bid to keep roads and other open places garbage free, Naik said the QMC has deputed workers once in week along all roads to collect garbage discarded by motorists and other people.
