As the area right on the border of Aquem-Baixo, Navelim and Margao Municipal Council has virtually become a waste dump yard, agitated residents took to the streets on late Sunday evening, demanding an immediate stop to the illegal dumping.
Fisheries Minister and Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado, who made his presence felt at the spot, after being invited by the residents, virtually expressed his helplessness in preventing miscreants from dumping waste at the roadside, but has promised an immediate clean up of the area. “Navelim has started its door to door waste collection only last week and it will take some time for the results to come in. I had made a personal appeal to the neighbouring Margao Municipal Council to accept waste from the neighbouring villages of Navelim constituency, but the MMC has refused to accept our waste. We are indeed facing a big problem in the absence of a waste dumping site”, Avertano said, while expressing his helplessness in tackling the garbage menace.
A local resident Camilo Crasto made a humble plea to the citizens and businessmen to stop dumping waste at the spot. We strongly suspect that the waste is coming from the market area. Besides households”, he said.
Secretary of Navelim Civic and Consumer Forum Joseph L Vaz said the menace has increased after the neighbouring Margao Municipal council removed the bin from behind the Church after starting door to door waste collection. “All the waste flowing into the bins is now finding its way on the border of Navelim, Aquem Baixo and Margao. We have urged the Navelim MLA for night patrolling on the road to deter miscreants from dumping the waste at night time”, he said.
Navelim Sarpanch Franky Fernandes said that the Panchayat would erect a board at the site requesting the people to stop waste dumping.
