There were media reports of boxes of unused condoms being found
in front of the customs office. Now the point is everyone blames the government
for the dirty roads and the garbage around. They feel it is the responsibility
of the government to take care of these problems but one could ask if the
general public also take some share of the responsibility to ensure the public
space remains clean.
Members of the general public had an interesting response from
various people. Ryan Rodrigues an entrepreneur asked some very pertinent
questions saying “It is a two way process. To be fair the government has
implemented a few systems/processes for the public to follow in disposing
waste. We as citizens need to question ourselves honestly: how many of us
segregate our waste when the same is collected from our homes?, how many have
stopped carrying or requesting for plastic bags when we go to the supermarket?,
how many of us chuck wrappers or cans out of our cars or from bus windows?, how
many of us just dispose of food in the nearby gutter when we go on picnics? And
importantly how many of us just burn garbage? There is no point in blaming the
Government. We need to change our social behaviour/attitude towards cleanliness
and the environment. That is the first step and the rest will fall into place”.
Harish Malvankar an
artist felt the government was responsible for cleanliness but citizens of the
country were equally responsible for it. He said “We should start acting from
our homes, and the government should take action on a large scale.”
Swapnaa Puujari a
marketing professional said for over seven years now whenever she visited the
beach she would carry a bag to pick up as many bottles and plastics possible
and throw it in the bin close by. She aid “Why should we hold the government
responsible for every dirty act that we do? Why not prevent it, than be the
cause and blame the government? Throwing condoms and dirtying the place further
is not the right way to send out the message!”
Deepthi George a
housewife felt it was the people’s responsibility to keep the place clean. She
however went on to say that there was a bigger issue of unused boxes of
condoms. Deepthi said “Can we just do some public service and distribute them”.
Nupura Hautamaki an
event manager felt the citizens had to be equally active and responsible with
regards to keeping the villages, towns or cities clean. She said “I mean the
Government should provide dustbins for example everywhere, and we as citizens
should use them instead of dropping garbage everywhere. I think that as
citizens we have just got used to blaming the government for everything and not
looking at our own behaviour.”
Similar sentiments
were expressed by Aadore Mukherjee, a professional from the world of cinema.
She said “We are as responsible for our city as the government. Regular
cleaning and collection of waste is the government’s duty but it is also ours
to keep our spaces clean and to segregate our garbage. That same box could have
been donated to a centre”.
Agnes Pinto, a
student and employee, felt since the public were the ones using the public
spaces it was important they took responsibility. She said” Start with small
things, Always have a garbage bag. Carry your own water bottle. One small
action can really make a difference. Don’t have the I, me and myself attitude”
Avelino de Sa who has
spent his life fighting for the rights of the differently abled was blunt. He
said “The large boxes of condoms found outside the casino offices shows what
goes on in the casinos. Yes, blaming the government and expecting them to clean
up is not enough. The general public should take the responsibility of cleaning
up public places because the government is not bothered as their pockets are
filled. Our city belongs to us and we should keep it clean. We should act
before Goa is called the sin capital of India”.
A young corporate
executive Mayanka Harlankar felt if one wanted to keep the streets clean ten it
was the job of every individual and the local community to get involved in
reducing the trash that everyone produced. She said “It doesn’t matter how many
times your local government cleans if the people don’t help. You can see that
happening when the trash collectors go to strike”.
Promising young
singer Akshada Bandekar felt it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure the
surroundings were clean. She said “I know sometimes it can seem overwhelming
thinking about the whole issue and seeing so much garbage around, it feels like
a lot to take on. But honestly, if each and every one of us do our little bit,
and internalize the importance of not littering, we will make significant
progress”.
This
is a problem that has dominated discussion for several years but nothing much
seems to have happened. A start has to be made for a sustained social movement
which could help maintain cleanliness in the state. That seems the only way
forward.
