CANACONA: Heaps of garbage along the National Highway 17 from Canacona to Paddi, Quepem is collected in polythene bags, piled in a shielded dustbins, and then forgotten.
A German tourist pointed out that the garbage bins were overflowing, and inquiries with the locals revealed that the contractor in charge of the work had not disposed of the garbage at the garbage disposal plant since May 2014. The rag-pickers employed by the contractor are regular in collecting the garbage, but the contractor is shying away from disposing of the same.
Garbage collector Vasant Velip informed that his duties start at 9 am. The garbage that he collects from the roadside consists mostly of plastic and liquor bottles, leftover food, and sometimes “nauseating things” like condoms.
The Deputy Collector of Canacona was unavailable for comments as he was on leave, while the entire Public Works Department (PWD) staff was on its way to the funeral of Assistant Engineer Luis Dias in Margao.
According to the German tourist, the garbage collection drive in Goa is ineffective as people were uneducated, which led to garbage being dumped on the roadside and damage to the environment.
A visit to the site revealed that the garbage-collection bins were overflowing with trash. Garbage was also scattered alongside the NH-17 at many places from Karmalghat to Balli.
School teacher Shankar Fal Desai urged the government to take strict action against the negligence of the concerned department and contractor. He stated that the old practice of dumping garbage on abandoned the NH-17 road had started once again, giving the area a shabby look.
Canacona Community Health Centre (CHC) Officer Dr Vikas Kuvelkar said the possibility of vector-borne diseases may increase, and hence, the heaps of garbage strewn by the roadside needed urgent attention.
