THE GOAN | MAPUSA
Mapusa, once the bustling commercial heart of North Goa, is today a town slowly rotting under the weight of its own garbage.
Roadsides, gardens and public spaces have turned into reeking black spots where waste stagnates for days “ sometimes weeks “ uncollected, unsegregated and, more importantly, unchecked.
From Altinho to Cunchelim, and across the 20 municipal wards, the stench is no longer symbolic “ it’s real.
The air carries not just the smell of rotting waste but also the deeper stink of apathy and administrative collapse.
And while Mapusa sinks into a swamp of filth and frustration, the town’s elected representatives “ its chairperson, vice-chairperson and several councillors “ have chosen leisure over leadership, jetting off on a Dubai holiday in the middle of a civic emergency.
Slow creep of decay
Mapusa’s garbage problem isn’t new. But in the last three to four months, the crisis has exploded. Mounds of garbage now dominate corners of the town like silent yet stinking reminders of institutional failure.
Open dumping is rampant, with waste remaining untouched long enough to grow into small mountains and attract scavengers. The once-proud town square, markets and colonies all show visible signs of neglect.
Several factors have fed into this civic disaster. For starters, the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has struggled with a chronic shortage of manpower and garbage trucks.
Labour issues have meant that even hired workers often fail to report on time, derailing the entire schedule of collection and disposal. The door-to-door waste collection system has effectively collapsed.
A former councillor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it bluntly: “When the basics of waste collection are not in place, what else can you expect? If door-to-door collection is not efficient, people will throw their waste wherever they can.”
Fallout of the Assagao plateau ban
Until recently, the MMC had been dumping waste at the Assagao plateau “ a convenient, if unofficial, solution that kept the trash away from residential areas.
The garbage was segregated there and sent to the Saligao treatment plant. But once the dumping was banned, the council had no contingency plan.
Forced to find quick alternatives, MMC began allowing garbage to be dumped and segregated within residential wards themselves “ sometimes literally in people’s backyards.
In Altinho, for instance, waste collected from nearby homes is dumped and sorted in a public garden right opposite the court complex. The result is predictable: foul smells, health hazards and public fury.
In Cunchelim, at Kadpavaddo, locals are witnessing their once-quiet neighbourhood turn into a dumping ground for not just Mapusa’s trash, but also from nearby villages like Camurlim, Siolim and Colvale.
“People come in cars and tempo vans at night and unload their garbage here. The whole area has become one filthy mess,” complained Henry Rodricks, a resident.
Marketplaces or dumping grounds?
Even the town’s nerve centre “ the Mapusa municipal market “ hasn’t been spared. Shopkeepers and customers alike complain of uncollected garbage that lingers for weeks, spreading stench and deterring footfall.
“Mapusa is not what it used to be. No one wants to shop in a place that smells like a gutter,” a regular customer said, holding her nose.
Shopkeepers claim they are losing business. “Why would customers walk in when they are greeted by garbage at the entrance?” asked one vegetable vendor, disillusioned and angry.
Administrative apathy or arrogance?
What stings the public most is not just the filth “ but the complete lack of accountability.
Despite the public outcry, there’s been no concerted action plan, no regular clean-up drives and absolutely no urgency from those in power.
Ironically, at the peak of this civic disaster, the town's elected representatives chose to leave “ on a foreign trip to Dubai. Their absence isn’t just symbolic “ it’s an indictment of their disconnect.
“When councillors prioritise luxury holidays over urgent civic issues, what message does it send? That we are on our own,” said a resident bitterly.
Some hope, maybe
The only silver lining comes from the Directorate of Municipal Administration, which has now permitted the outsourcing of garbage collection in 50 per cent of the town’s wards.
The MMC has already floated tenders and issued a work order to a contractor for the collection of door-to-door garbage in 10 wards.
But whether this move will bring lasting relief or end up as yet another half-baked attempt remains to be seen.
A senior official from MMC, hopeful yet cautious, said, “Yes, we’ve taken some steps. The work is tendered and the contract awarded. But we’ll need time to assess results.”
What needs to be done
Experts say the solution is not rocket science “ just basic governance.
- 1. Fix door-to-door collection: Ensure regular and disciplined garbage pickup across all wards.
- 2. Public awareness: Launch town-wide campaigns to educate citizens on segregation and responsible waste disposal.
- 3. Enforcement: Penalise those who dump garbage illegally “
- especially those from outside areas.
- 4. Political will: The MMC and its councillors need to be present, responsive and focused on solutions.
But as long as Mapusa’s elected leaders choose getaways over groundwork, the stink will continue to rise “ not just from the garbage, but from the very system that was meant to serve the town.
