MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has sought report from Directorate of Panchayat on the action taken by the coastal belt panchayats against those involved in reckless dumping of garbage along the tourism belt.
The GCZMA during its recent meeting noted that the panchayats cannot absolve its responsibility of enforcement of laws against dumping and littering in public places stating that the garbage on the beaches is to be collected by the Tourism Department under beach cleaning contract.
The GCZMA pointed out that the panchayats have the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the Goa Nob-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act 1996. The Section 8 of the Act empowers the local body to impose penalty.
“Although, beach cleaning may be the responsibility of the Department of Tourism, that by itself would not entail any violator to dump garbage for which the panchayat has to act by taking punitive action under different laws,” the coastal body said.
The CZMA has directed the Directorate of Panchayat to submit report as to how much and how many violators have been booked under the Garbage Act in last one year in coastal regions.
The Authority said that reckless dumping of garbage spoils the coastal ecology and it also gives a bad name to the State.
