MERCES, MARCH 9
Citing an example of how she treats garbage in her own backyard, Chaka Chak Goa coordinator Patricia Pinto offered help to the Santa Cruz Panchayat in setting up of composting units in the village to take care of wet garbage.
Pinto made the offer when the Chaka Chak team visited the panchayat to chalk out plans to tackle waste menace in the village.
She further offered her services in training some villagers in maintaining the composting units in a scientific manner so that foul odour does not emanate from these units.
“The Director of Panchayat has also informed that the government is willing to finance these composting units,” she added.
Deputy Sarpanch Tony Fernandes, though, said that currently the panchayat is facing problem of non-availability of land and also non-cooperation from the villagers in tackling waste menace.
Tony further added that the problem is only compounded since the Pollution Board does not give NOC for setting up of waste plant in fields and emphasized the need for convincing the Pollution Board officials first.
Taking note of the grievance, Patricia said she would speak to the Pollution Board officials in this regard to know the reasons behind rejecting fields as site for waste treatment.
“If due permissions are obtained from authorities like the TCP and others to fill a barren field and if due care is taken to see that pollution of water bodies is avoided, I see no reason why such barren fields can’t be used for setting up waste plant,” she opined.
Earlier, Patricia laid emphasis on the effective functioning of the garbage committee, which she said can play a big role in coordination with the panchayat authorities in tackling waste menace.
She also advised the garbage committee members to put politics aside and work together as a team for the betterment of the village.
Patricia then made the panchayat authorities aware of the two schemes which are available for tackling garbage namely plastic menace scheme and rural garbage scheme.
“The easiest scheme which can be implemented immediately is the plastic menace scheme,” she explained and advised the panchayat to apply for this scheme while going into the details of how the scheme works.
“Currently, the government gives a fund of Rs 25,000 per year under this scheme,” she informed and added that she will urge the government to raise the fund of Rs 50,000 to make the scheme more effective.
Concurrently, Patricia urged the panchayat to enforce the plastic ban rule, which does not allow anyone to sell plastic bags below 40 microns. She also laid emphasis on educating the public on segregation of waste, without which it would be difficult to achieve total success.
Also present at the meeting were Chaka Chak member Valerie Madredeus, Sarpanch Rosy Fernandes, panchayat secretary Pednekar, garbage committee members and concerned citizens.
