MARGAO: Former Margao Municipal Council (MMC) chairperson and former member of the solid waste management cell that had launched the door-to-door garbage collection drive, Savio Coutinho felt that the existing system can still work if implemented correctly. The existing system involves self help groups (SHG) who carry out the door-to-door garbage collection daily.
Against the backdrop of the directorate of municipal administration rejecting the MMC’s proposal for funding of its outsourcing plan, Coutinho felt that instead of focusing on outsourcing as the only solution, the solution lies with the MMC sanitary section taking their work seriously.
“Everyone feels that the SHGs have failed, but nobody knows the truth behind how the system is being strangulated towards failure. The new councillors also will be helpless if the sections don’t work seriously. All that they do is shout during the council meeting like always,” said Coutinho.
He said that the door-to-door scheme cannot be implemented since the sanitary section of the council itself does not want it to be implemented; because, he said, the sanitary section does not want to do away with the filthy spots all over the city. These are designated spots for waste contractors from outside the city to dump their waste, he said.
“For more than a year, we have been after the council to compile proper data of various types of premises; besides, in August this year, the chief officer had also issued directions to the supervisors to collect data from their respective areas,” Coutinho said adding, however no data was collected till date.
