ASSAGAO: The issue of garbage management has taken centre stage, and solid waste has become a pressing concern. While various individuals and forums work to raise awareness about solid waste management, Wilma Rodrigues, an erstwhile trekker and journalist/columnist from Assagao, believes Goa has the potential to become a zero-waste State.
Wilma’s life took a different turn when, during a trek, she noticed garbage and solid waste strewn everywhere. This prompted her to take initiative, starting with her own life and household. She created a network of people dedicated to the cause of waste management. About 25 years ago, she approached her parents seeking their support to set up a solid waste composting plant in their compound, and they readily agreed. Wilma became the first person in her village to have a wet waste composting unit. She is staunchly against burning dry leaves,
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considering it pollution, and instead, she empties all the garbage generated in her house into the composting plant, obtaining compost for her plants.
Wilma joined Saahas Zero Waste, a Bangalore-based movement aiming to convert solid waste into resource recovery. She contends that solid waste is not the issue it’s made out to be today; rather, it’s a result of changes in living habits, lifestyle, and a lack of commitment to environmental preservation. Wilma believes Goa has the resources to address the garbage/solid waste issue but lacks political will. She emphasises the need for a cultural shift in the way we view waste, considering everything as reusable.
As part of Saahas Zero Waste, Wilma is working on a hotel project in Nerul, where all generated compost is reused. She mentions that plastic can be divided into 20 different types and processed accordingly. While Wilma acknowledges that Goa generates around thousands of tons of garbage daily, she insists that the state can become zero waste with serious commitment and decentralized waste management.
Wilma stresses the importance of the three R’s in garbage management – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. She advocates for strict laws, tough regulations, and decentralisation of waste management. Despite existing laws against single-use plastic, Wilma observes lax enforcement. She is dedicated to creating awareness about a clean environment and believes that every citizen must commit to maintaining cleanliness. Wilma envisions smaller treatment plants at the village level to manage solid waste effectively. Ultimately, she urges people to lead in treating wet waste, converting it into useful products, and systematically segregating and recycling dry waste with proper awareness and motivation.
