Says those who spoil the environment ‘should be penalized as per the law’
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Acknowledging that garbage is a ticking time bomb, Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo said that strict supervision and surveillance was essential if cleanliness at public places was to be ensured. Calling the disposal of garbage and waste management “an important and critical” challenge before the State he said that those who violate the law and spoil the environment “should be penalized as per the law” while stressing that the “condition in our hospitals and their surroundings should be maintained with special care.”
Wanchoo was speaking at a meeting of the Goa State Environment Protection Council meeting held at the Raj Bhavan.
“Needless to say, clean and well-maintained cities, towns and villages are symbolic of a cultured society, while polluted and dirty conditions in the cities, towns and villages tend to create a poor impression,” he said.
The State, one of the premier tourism destinations in South East Asia is coming under the scanner for its major garbage problem which is leaving it open to all round criticism.
“Disposal of garbage and waste management is an important and critical challenge being faced by the municipal corporation, municipal councils and panchayats,” Wanchoo said but mentioned that the assurance of the chief minister on the Independence Day to make Goa a clean tourist destination by setting up State-of-the-art garbage treatment plants at three places by next year is very encouraging.
In the GEDC’s previous meeting the Governor had elaborated on various aspects of environmental indicators, on a general scenario, such as air, gas emissions, bio-medical, chemical and hazardous wastes and had expressed concern about the impact on health and scattered cases of diseases namely ~ malaria /chicken pox/dengue/H1N1 influenza, etc., in the State.
He had also argued for the need of environment monitoring and management in tourism sector that had to go hand-in-hand to be a sustainable and viable livelihood option.
This time too the Governor pointed that that a healthy environment “is a sine qua non to ensure proper health of the people and advancement and progress of society” and unhygienic surroundings can cause health problems, like Malaria, Dengue, etc. “I am told that from October 2012 to July 2013, in Goa, there were 1,301 cases of Malaria; 77 cases of Dengue including one death; and eight cases of Chikungunya. The very occurrence of such diseases creates a sense of fear and concern among the people. These figures are not very alarming, but our concern and efforts should be directed towards making Goa free from such serious problems,” he said.
