Parrikar hits the beach

TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Goa government hopes to achieve 95 per cent success into its mission to clean the filth and garbage-ridden beaches by December 19, 2014 as it launched its ‘Clean Goa, Beautiful Goa’ campaign on Monday.
“We will succeed in getting 90-95 per cent of the job done by December 19, 2014 (Goa’s Liberation Day). In one year’s time, we will achieve our target of complete beach cleanliness,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told a press conference after launching the campaign at Miramar beach.
Parrikar said the tar balls, which are washed ashore, will also be covered under the project contracted to two agencies Bhumika Transport Waste Handling Services and Ram Engineering and Construction Company for cleaning beaches in north and south Goa respectively.  
Parrikar explained the contract of five years and three months will be renewed every year, provided the agencies fulfil all obligations and methodology under the tender. The contract is primarily awarded for a period of 15 months. The government expects this will increase number of tourists to Goa.
“There will be an extensive monitoring and cross checking by the State committee. The onus lies on the contractor to ensure performance,” he added in the presence of Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Tourism Secretary R K Verma, Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral, Tourism Director Ameya Abhyankar, GTDC MD Nikhil Desai and the contractors.
The agencies are responsible for putting in place necessary infrastructure such as dustbins, segregation units, compositing pits and scientific disposal of garbage. Dustbins will be placed at every 100 meters interval while garbage will be collected from all beaches where it will be segregated into different parts such as bio degradable and non bio-degradable.
The non bio-degradable waste will further be segregated into plastics, glass, metal, etc to later stock it at a central place for further disposal. The bio-degradable waste will be converted into compost at compost pits.
The tourism department has ensured that staff employed is upright, efficient, smartly dressed in proper uniforms to match with the best standards available. The chief minister informed that the two agencies are asked to mandatorily recruit 60 percent of the total staff. With about 400 manpower spread across the beaches selected for cleanliness, five persons are deployed every five km from 9am-5pm.
To a question about penalizing the violators for littering beaches, Parrikar promptly replied that he is confident that 75 percent of the people will throw garbage into the bins. “If there is availability of bins, 75 percent will dump garbage there. If there are no bins, then what can they do. We should also inculcate habits to dispose waste in bins,” he said.
Government has already warned of legal action if anyone is found drinking liquor on beaches and littering public open space.
Abyankar further explained that the manual cleaning of the beaches will be scaled up during the festive season, and garbage collection will be carried out on daily basis to avoid overflowing bins. A committee under the chairmanship of tourism minister will hear grievances if any, which will also assist and supervise the work on regular basis.
The tourism department intends to create awareness through social media in due course of time.
Bhumika Transport has been tasked with cleaning North Goa beaches which includes Miramar, Keri, Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Vagator, Ozrant, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim, Nerul, Caranzalem, Siridao, Bambolim for an amount of Rs 7,51,40,999 for the first year. While Ram Engineering and Construction Company will manage the South Goa stretch which includes Majorda, Baina, Bogmolo, Velsao, Arrosim, Utorda, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Sernabatim, Benaulim, Zalor, Fatrade, Varca, Cavelossim, Agonda, Palolem, Patnem, Rajbag, Talpona, Galgibag at a cost of Rs 7,0487,999 for the same period.