Team Herald

PANJIM: Goa would be pleased to share its technology and expertise in treating garbage with Bengaluru, as the IT capital looks to the State for ways to manage waste. Bengaluru has been at the receiving end as it has the rules and laws governing garbage disposal, but there is no enforcement.

Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo said Goa is willing to help the neighbouring State in treating ‘wet waste’. “We have technology to treat wet waste and successfully converting this waste into energy for the State. However, for dry waste like plastic, we lack an incinerator due to which we supply plastic bottles to the cement factory in Karnataka free of cost. While we are proposing to set up an incinerator in Goa, we are happy to share the technology with Bengaluru to treat wet waste,” he told Herald.

The Bengaluru authorities had till Wednesday, however, not approached the State government though various reports in Karnataka spoke of the former’s local municipality and National Green Tribunal’s State Level Monitoring Committee studying the Goa model for collection and disposal of solid waste.

Lobo, who has recently taken up the newly-created portfolio, said the State is ready to share its ideas with any State willing to treat garbage scientifically. “We will definitely share our technology with any State looking at handling garbage menace, because this is our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of Swachh Bharat,” he added.

The minister, representing the most-frequented coastal belt of Calangute, said Goa generated a huge amount of plastic bottles.

In Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had allegedly conceded it was finding it difficult to handle the 4,500 tonnes of garbage generated by the city daily. It is thus holding discussions on adopting the Goa model of solid waste management, wherein its officials are gathering suggestions to prepare a draft proposal.

It is also learnt that the Bengaluru civic authorities might approach the Goa waste management body seeking assistance.