SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: Residents of Ponda are up in arms over the lack of door-to-door garbage collection in their area for the past two months. More than 100 residents have complained to the Ponda Municipal Council, demanding immediate action to collect the trash accumulated along the roadsides. The citizens have threatened to dump the rotting waste outside the municipality office if the issue is not resolved within next seven days.
The residents allege that in some areas, there is no door-to-door garbage collection at all. They lamented that they pay all their taxes and fees, including the garbage collection and sanitation fees on time, but are not receiving the promised services.
The residents further accused the municipality of not paying the garbage contractors on time, leading to disruptions in their services. They have pointed out the presence of signboards imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 for littering, adding that the municipality should be fined first for its failure to collect the garbage.
When contacted, Ponda Municipal Council Chairperson Ritesh Naik and ward councillor dismissed the allegations as false. They acknowledged that there were some issues with garbage collection in certain areas for the past eight days due to a shortage of workers, some of whom were on leave or unwell. However, they insisted that the entire town of Ponda was not facing this problem.
The ward councillor stated that the municipality had swiftly acted on people's complaints and issued notices to the contractor to address the situation. They accused the residents of providing false information and misleading the public about the municipality's performance.
The residents, however, remain adamant and have threatened to take to the streets if the garbage collection issue is not resolved within the next seven days.
