CM Sawant chairs 17th GWMC board meet; key initiatives cleared
MAPUSA
In a move aimed at building skilled capacity and strengthening local governance in waste management, the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has approved the launch of a Waste Management Technician course and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence to train Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the State.
The initiative will be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GWMC, the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (DSDE) and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
The move is expected to bridge the skill gap in the waste management sector, provide technical expertise to civic staff and standardise best practices across State’s municipalities and panchayats.
Officials said the new training programmes will focus on scientific waste segregation, collection, transportation and treatment techniques, with an emphasis on sustainability and public awareness.
“Building institutional and technical capacity is key to managing waste efficiently. This initiative will empower local bodies and create job-ready professionals in this crucial sector,” an official said.
Alongside the training and capacity-building initiatives, the GWMC Board also approved the empanelment of additional door-to-door collection agencies and Project Management Consultants (PMCs) to improve service delivery in both urban and rural areas.
The decisions were taken at the 17th Board Meeting of GWMC, chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and attended by Waste Management Minister Atanasio Monserrate and other board members.
Sawant reiterated the government’s commitment to making Goa a “cleaner, greener and more sustainable State.”
“We are focusing on capacity building, technological innovation and people’s participation to ensure scientific and decentralised waste management in every taluka,” he said.
The meeting also cleared several other proposals, including five-way waste segregation in educational institutions, installation of sanitary waste incinerators in government offices, removal of legacy hazardous waste from the Sunrise Zinc site in Cuncolim and a PET bottle recycling pilot project in collaboration with the Village Recyclers Foundation to empower women self-help groups (SHGs).
Monserrate added that the measures reflect Goa’s vision of “closing the waste loop through innovation, education and community involvement.”
