Commotion at Benaulim over waste disposal

MARGAO, JAN 3 
Commotion prevailed at Tolleaband-Benaulim on Monday afternoon after local youth assembled to protest against dumping of restaurant waste in the lake.
What has agitated the local youth is that the Tolleaband area – the favourite waste dumping ground for unscrupulous contractors and citizens —  was cleared of waste on Sunday evening, but were surprised to find gunny bag laden with garbage in the lake and along the road side.
Local youth Roque Fernandes who called up Benaulim Sarpanch Carmelina Fernandes and others to the spot, later investigated the matter by making rounds of  the beach shacks, only to realize later that the waste came from a restaurant leased out by a local doctor.
There was a verbal duel between the youth and the doctor, who has sublet his place for the restaurant, causing commotion.  But, Sarpanch Carmelina Fernandes and other local youth did not let the doctor and his workers let go scot free and made the workers to clean up the roadside and the lake of the waste.
“The entire area at Tolleaband was cleared of waste by the youth on Sunday evening. But, when I headed towards Margao this morning, I found waste dumped again in the lake and the roadside. This is not acceptable to the local residents. The patience of the local youth is running out”, she warned.
Roque Fernandes said it is really shocking and shameful that even a doctor is allegedly involved in dumping waste in the lake and along the roadside. “This has to stop immediately. The doctor even came charging on the youth after we detected that the waste came from the restaurant”, he added.
Incidentally, the district and the police authorities are turning a blind eye to the problem of waste dumping along the Tolleaband lake-Pedda-St John the Baptist Church road by unscrupulous elements.
In fact, the Benaulim Sarpanch had drawn attention of the district Collector, South G P Naik to crack a whip against the elements, but in vain. Incidentally, the local youth led by Roque had been at the receiving end of the Colva police on more than one occasion for lending a helping hand in identifying the culprits involved in garbage dumping.