The recent notification by the government for compulsory collection of garbage fees from the villagers have raised eyebrows among the villagers residing in remote areas and the idea is also questioned by the panchayat members, particularly in villages where the villagers themselves do away with the collected garbage on day-to-day basis.
Sarpanch of Kalay village Kishore Dessai, while claiming it was not a bad idea, questioned the feasibility of the collection and disposal of garbage at the panchayat level without infrastructure facilities. Collection of garbage on day-to-day basis will require at least an army of seven workers to collect the garbage from the village which is spread across seven wards.
The question that arises is, who will foot the bill towards the employment of the labourers, claimed Dessai. Though the notification claims the collection of garbage fees from the households, in a panchayat like Kalay where people find difficult to pay house tax, the collection of garbage fee is an ardent task.
Moreover, the panchayat will have to face the wrath if the panchayat begins collecting the garbage fee, informed Dessai, who appealed to the government to make the necessary infrastructure facilities available at the panchayat level to dispose the collected garbage.
Once collected, the garbage needs to stored. Does the panchayats in rural areas have the facilities for garbage storage, argued Dessai. A shed to store the garbage collected from the villagers is also necessary. The construction of the shed will cost the panchayat sizeable amount. From where are we to get the funds to construct the shed, h asked.
Sarpanch of Uguem Village Panchayat Sanjay Parwar echoed similar feelings. The panchayat as it is longing for funds to undertake the development projects. While claiming the question of collecting garbage fees from the villagers to be highly unacceptable, Parwar urged the government for the needs to sanction funds for the collection of garbage on daily basis.
He, however, informed at the meeting held recently with the panchayat members that the panchayat has decided to collect dry garbage from the villagers on trial basis. The trial will be initially conducted in ward No. 1 and 2 of the panchayat and if feasible will be spread in the remaining wards of the panchayat, informed Parwar.
Under the trial the villagers will be provided with dry waste collection bags and the same will be collected from the villagers by the panchayat on weekly basis.
He informed that Uguem village does not have a big problem as far as garbage is concerned. Most of the villagers have vast courtyards around their houses and the people are habituated to dispose of their waste in their courtyards on daily basis.
