The Swachh Bharat mission initiated by the present Government at the Centre to clean up the country and make it a greener and an environmental friendly place has to go a long way to make its mark in the state of Goa and the country as a whole as it has not yet made a mark in the right direction. Firstly, even though there is awareness being created on television, radio, and the Internet there is very little being done in reality to make this ambitious plan a success. It will take time for other countries of the world to have at least something positive about India to talk about besides other issues that also need to be highlighted that are also important and need to be resolved at the earliest. At least an amicable solution has to be put in sight or else it will only be words that are spoken by the ministers and politicians and no concrete action being taken in reality.
Secondly, everyone should co-ordinate, be it politicians or the residents and locals of a locality, since everyone is responsible for maintaining cleanliness in each and everyone’s surroundings rather than passing the buck and blaming the politicians and ministers in power for not finding a solution to resolve garbage and waste management. There should also be no opposition from the local residents that they are objecting to setting up of a waste treatment plant in a nearby locality that will look after all their waste management woes.
Thirdly there should be garbage bins kept in all localities of the city and villages so that wet and dry waste can be segregated in an orderly and systematical manner rather than being dumped everywhere, where there is vacant space thus creating a poor and bad impression to the village, city or the town. There should also be imposition of a fine if there are violations found. This will remind the public to be cautious and aware that all should follow the cleanliness drive as there are rules and regulations. If timely fines are imposed when violations take place in the same way it is done in some countries abroad, the same should be done in Goa and India as well. Dumping waste in public places and in corners of a road is bad for the environment for the health of the people living in the vicinity.
Fourthly, the government should support the Clean India Movement and provide adequate funds to support. It should also form different departments; create special committees so that more awareness is created about the garbage.
Fifthly the cess on the Swachh Bharat mission should be abolished as it is not necessary since the Central Government is unnecessarily trying to get political mileage by adding a cess as this will empty the country’s exchequer whereby lakhs and crores of public money is going to waste since funds are being misused.
Sixthly the Central Government should also implement a law or rule where plastic is banned all over the country as it is a pollutant and cannot be extinguished using fire. There is a lot of plastic found everywhere even though there is a ban on plastic bags in North India.
