We should aim to keep our cities and villages free from garbage strewn all over. This would be to everyone’s benefit by ensuring our health and wellbeing. It would also attract high end tourists who have been staying away from Goa. Public dumping of waste all over, even throwing it brazenly in rivers and ponds is unacceptable. The gravity of the situation has been consistently highlighted by our High Court who has been monitoring the progress done in waste management. Goa needs three or four more garbage disposal plants to ensure proper handling of garbage across the State. Effective garbage disposal needs a complete and total solution looking at every aspect, including the type of garbage, collection of garbage besides the recycling and proper disposal of garbage. Conventional and modern methods must be studied and put in place. Furthermore, we need an educational programme with clear laid down procedures for the people. In addition, there must also be effective honest policing of the guidelines coupled with punitive action for persistent wrongdoers. All this necessitates a sizable investment by the government which must be fully utilized for the purpose intended.
