PANAJI
Usage of plastic has become a huge menace, but human life cannot be entirely free of plastic. There is a need to stop the abuse of plastic to end this menace. Segregation, reduction in its use and change to cloth bags instead of plastic is the need of the hour. This was the unanimous agreement of the panelists on the subject “ Plastic-free Goa! Can a dream come true? - organised by Goan Varta in collaboration with The Goan Everyday as part of the ‘Varta-laap’ series.
Pointing out that technology alone cannot solve the garbage problem, the General Manager of the Solid Waste Treatment Plant Richard Dias said that segregation of waste, reducing the use of plastic and shifting to cloth bags is the only way forward.
He also said that the people generating garbage have to be charged user fees for treating the same.
“Right now the government is cushioning us and not allowing us to pay for garbage treatment but at some point they will have to pay for it,” he informed.
“Right now, after all the waste is treated, there is less than 2.5 per cent residue, glass and stones, among others, which are left, which go into the landfill. Chief Minister has asked PWD to check if this material can be used in road construction,” he informed stating that Goa has shown the path for India’s waste management.
Another Panelist, Bodgeshwar Temple Committee President Anand Bhaidkar who was successful in making Bodgeshwar zatra plastic-free appealed to temple committees across the State to take up initiatives to make their respective zatras plastic-free.
“When I thought of making Bodgeshwar zatra plastic-free, the main challenge in front of us was to provide the shopkeepers and vendors with an alternative. We approached the Mapusa Municipal Council and Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza who agreed to support us. We then approached a wholesaler of cloth bags, studied the financial aspects and then launched the initiative to make the zatra plastic-free and we were successful. I appeal to all the temple committees to follow the same and make Goa plastic-free,” he said.
The third panelist and promoter of the self-employment through alternative of cloth bags Vikramaditya Panashikar stated that women, especially housewives in their leisure time can take up the work of making cloth bags which would provide self-employment and also help in making Goa plastic-free.
