Almost immediately we attempted to understand the situation with garbage disposal and began to work on finding a way to clean up our village of Reis Magos. We are aware that folks like us (temporary residents) are part of the problem and are willing to take the responsibility of the trash we generate and also find a larger solution for the village. Over a period of five years, I am listing in a chronological order our efforts. Enlisting the help of neighbors we knocked on doors, trying to find out how our village was dealing with the Garbage situation. We talked to the priest at the three Kings Church to try and find ways to bring about a collective awareness. We tried to contact the Panchayat, began a neighborhood committee, took a workshop on how to deal with garbage in Goa. We bought containers for our immediate neighbors so they could separate the trash and not throw it on the side of the street. We met with the Sarpanch, with the tourism minister….all of whom gave us some hope. We identified a person who could take our garbage to a sorting station, hired him. We constructed a large open cement box where the garbage could be thrown till it was picked up. All of this with our own effort and expense. We were trying whatever we thought would work to find a solution for a problem that seems insurmountable without the commitment from the panchayat and the municipality. We even met with the chief minister last year.
The situation with garbage collection and disposal is worse than it was five years ago. The garbage (including large numbers of plastic bags) strewn all around us is not just a blight on the beauty of our village but is a serious health hazard.
We are happy and willing to put in time, effort and money to help find a solution. All suggestions are welcome. Have not entirely given up hope yet.
