SWMC recommended to immediately clear garbage near Areal green booth

MARGAO

Taking serious cognizance of the waste dumped along the Sao Jose de Areal roadside posing a nuisance and health hazard to children, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has recommended to the Solid Waste Management Corporation to immediately clear off the garbage at the site, including the garbage scattered in the surrounding of the facility within two days.

The Commission has further recommended to the Salcete Block Development Officer to convene a joint meeting of the three panchayats, i.e. Maina-Curtorim, Davorlim-Dicarpale and San Jose De Areal and Solid Waste Management Corporation and arrive at a permanent solution to the garbage handling at the site.

Both the Solid Waste Management Corporation and Block Development Officer, Salcete to submit a compliance report by 15th December 2022 to the Commission.

Commission Chairperson Peter F Borges observed that the indiscriminate dumping of garbage close to the vicinity of Dr K B Hedgewar Vidyalaya at Davorlim poses serious health hazards to the students. “A number of chicken shops from the vicinity have also dumped their organic waste into recyclable waste, which has remained uncollected,” he said.

He added: “The situation has worsened now, since the local administration, including Solid Waste Management Corporation which has a facility installed at the site, has failed to remove the garbage for the past almost three weeks with the foul smell emanating from the rotting garbage.”

The Commission said it is also understood from the inspection that the area is an intersection of three village panchayats, i.e. Maina-Curtorim, Davorlim-Dicarpale and San Jose De Areal and residents from all the panchayats have been dumping their household garbage, pointing out to inefficient handling of door-to-door garbage collections in these panchayats. “The unbearable odour emanating from the site can contribute to a greater occurrence of sicknesses such as malaria, asthma and skin infections among students who travel to the school,” the chairperson added.