Despite having a proper system in place, Cuncolim still faces garbage menace

CUNCOLIM: Despite having a door-to-door garbage collection system in place and a well-equipped site to scientifically deal with the collected garbage, Cuncolim faces a major problem of garbage strewn in open spaces and on the roadside primarily due to the migrants and few irresponsible residents.

Around two decades ago the Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) put in place a system to collect garbage from not only each household, but also from all the vendors in the market and other places. This garbage collection is currently outsourced.

Following a concerted awareness programme, people are now handing over segregated garbage to the collectors and this has eased the problem to some extent.

However, some irresponsible residents, including migrants living in rented premises, along with some chicken stall owners, do not follow the proper procedure to handle garbage generated by them and dump it in open spaces or by the roadside, which is now becoming a nuisance. It is believed that garbage is also thrown in the town by people living on its outskirts.

At the moment the council has identified about 20 black spots where garbage is being dumped. Even though the council has put signboards warning of fines to those dumping garbage, the miscreants take advantage of the night to do this nefarious act.

Some of the places where such garbage is dumped are the Multiple Sports Complex at Maddicottto, near the NIT complex wall at Masconi, Comba Paricotto and Central, both the gates to the Industrial Estate, the railway overbridge, Veroda, Pointomaddo, Dandora, Murida, Sanvorcotto, Naingillo and Bhiunsa.

Failure of the local council to act against these miscreants is evident, given the fact that till date not a single person has been fined for dumping garbage in the open space or by the road side and the signboards put up by the council appear to be mere decorative pieces.

Recently former councillor Shashank Dessai caught a tempo driver red-handed dumping garbage by the roadside but no action was taken against him except that he was warned and asked to take back the garbage brought by him elsewhere.

Market Inspector Balso Dessai, who is overseeing the garbage collection in the town, revealed that the council wanted to have a bin free town because of which everybody has been provided with two bins to keep the wet and dry garbage separately. However, he admitted that there are some who do not follow the laid down rules, because of which the council is facing problems.

“It is the duty of all citizens to support the council in keeping the town clean,” he said while Chairperson Lendry Mascarenhas appealed to people to hand over their garbage to the garbage collectors instead of dumping it in the open spaces, warning of strict action against those found violating the procedures.