12 Apr 2024  |   08:16pm IST

Mapusa citizens raise concerns over growing garbage menace at Tar River

Team Herald

With the rise in the garbage in the Tar River at Mapusa, locals have expressed discontent and frustration over the growing accumulation of waste in the river. The river which is known for its holistic significance has now become a dump yard. 

Tar River which is considered as the holy river in Mapusa. The river is being worshipped and most of the time Ganpati Visarjan is done in this river. Now the plight of the river has deteriorated so extensively that people not only dump their household waste but also there were cases of people consuming alcohol and throwing the waste in the river. 

During Ganesh Chaturthi, the river and its entire surrounding area are cleaned for celebration. Rest of the days the area is filled with litter. Apart from festivities time, people find it difficult to even pay a visit to the river due to the filth. Burnt books, photographs of Gods, broken idols, dry waste, flowers, plastic, etc. are seen littered on the bank of the river. As per locals, someone allegedly ignited a fire on the garbage. As a result of this fire, the holy books and the idols were also destroyed. 

“Today when I visited the Tari river which we consider holy as we do Ganpati Visajan here, I saw the river and the bank filled with garbage, plastic waste and household waste. It is very disheartening to see filth in this river. Here there is a Banyan tree and under the tree, I found a huge pile of garbage. Today I noticed that someone burnt the garbage, due to which all the holy books and idols have been destroyed. I think this is the result of Municipality’s negligence in addressing this issue” lamented a local. 

Despite installing a signboard warning the public regarding the consequences of their actions, the garbage menace is never-ending. The sign board states that alcohol consumption and garbage dumping are strictly prohibited and if anyone is caught doing so then a fine ranging from Rs 1000 up to Rs 5000 will be sanctioned on the perpetrators.  

The locals of Mapusa battling this rising issue have urged the authorities to take stringent action and provide relief to the public over the garbage menace.