CANACONA: While the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) is already struggling to tackle wayward dumping of garbage, the CMC is now faced with yet another challenge as the highway garbage collection enclosures have become popular among people to discard their waste.
Highway authorities have engaged a contractor since the past one year to collect plastic and other waste strewn along the roadside. The waste is then collected in garbage bags, deposited in an iron mesh enclosure and secured with a lock. Such iron enclosures have been placed every 4-5 kms along the NH-17 highway passing through Canacona’s municipal area.
The iron enclosures at Gulem and Nagorcem (near the KRC over-bridge) have now been surrounded with all kinds of waste.
“Many people have already created a mess by discarding garbage in the open, instead of placing it inside the available dustbins. They have now commenced dumping their waste around the highway garbage cages, despite the availability of garbage bins nearby,” said a visibly annoyed CMC Chairperson Simon Rebello.
Meanwhile, some individuals have decided to tackle the garbage menace and have begun clearing and collecting garbage which has been strewn in open spaces.
At least three entrepreneurs involved in the tourism trade at Palolem were seen engaging their workers to the roadside garbage at Palolem, Devabhaga, Patnem, Char-Rasta and Ponsulem. A councilor was also found engaging workers to pick up waste at Mastimoll.
When brought to his notice that concerned residents were cleaning up open spaces, Rebello said: “It is heartening to note that some people are not dependent on civic workers to undertake cleanliness drives, but are themselves doing their bit to keep the surroundings clean.”
Rebello, however, blamed some outside elements involved in the tourism trade for bringing in garbage bags from different villages and discarding it in municipal areas.
“I have asked our chief officer to write to these local bodies to look into the matter,” Rebello informed.
