There is growing agitation over mega housing projects and the flattening of hills for such developments. These projects could have a serious impact on Goa’s ecology. If mountains and hills are destroyed, Goans could face severe water shortages when dams and other water sources run dry. Hills and forests act as natural reservoirs that help retain and recharge groundwater. Our ancestors understood this importance even without modern education, and their wisdom should not be ignored. At the same time, the rapid concretisation of even our villages is taking place without proper planning for garbage management. Waste has become a major headache for both the government and the people of Goa. Almost every nook and corner of the state has garbage lying around, often giving off a foul smell. If this problem is not tackled immediately, it could eventually lead to serious public health concerns. This is particularly worrying when garbage charges of Rs 900 have been introduced in most panchayat jurisdictions, yet proper waste management remains a challenge. If this continues, every village could slowly turn into another Sonsodo. What is particularly shocking is the sight of people, especially some migrants, leaving wet and dry waste at road junctions early in the morning or at night. This causes inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians. This is happening in my village, near my house at Bela Vista, Corlim, Ilhas, Goa. I have seen people who drink and consume food leaving food leftovers and kitchen waste on the roads. Stray dogs then scatter the waste all over the place. I have informed the Corlim panchayat and even sent photographs of people dumping garbage, but despite this, garbage continues to appear on the main road every day.
I have also seen people from one village arriving on motorcycles with plastic bags full of garbage and dumping it in another village. This only makes each village dirtier and goes against the spirit of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Unless village panchayats take serious note of this growing garbage menace, our villages will eventually face the same problems as our cities. We speak about smart cities, but what development is actually taking place in the capital city? There are parking problems, garbage problems and potholes, while some roads have become difficult to use because of repeated digging. These conditions are also contributing to accidents. Garbage dumped on city roads causes further inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists. The government needs to rethink its priorities. Instead of blindly permitting development that involves flattening hills, proper garbage management should be treated as a priority. If housing projects are approved without adequate waste management systems, we could be inviting a serious public health crisis that may put innocent lives at risk. The government and village panchayats must stop turning a blind eye to this problem and take concrete, long-term steps to ensure proper garbage collection, disposal and management. Development should not come at the cost of Goa’s environment, water security and public health.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
