VRISHANK MAHATME
vrishank@herald-goa.com
A major number of local residents from Panjim and also a lot of tourists, who visit Goa, seem to have no civic sense, as they just hurl the leftovers like empty packets and bottles on the roads and in the gutters, leaving the area filthy and dirty.
One can understand this scenario if there were no dustbins provided. But despite Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) providing dustbins in the city, people are seen throwing the bags of garbage, empty chips packets and other plastic waste outside the dustbins.
As Herald visited Panjim’s famous eateries like Gujarat lodge, Bhaiya’s pav-bhaji and the ice-cream parlours, it was revealed that people just stand, eat stuff and the wrappers or polythene bags and the left overs are just tossed away on the roads and footpaths, despite the garbage bins lying in the close vicinity.
Moreover, tourists were seen walking on footpaths, consuming junk food like chips and the wrappers were just disposed off on the pathways even when dustbins are placed in every corner on the streets by the CCP. This simply confirms that people do not have civic sense.
“We have been in the eateries business for the past many years. Even when the bins are present, specially the tourists just throw the plastic plates in the gutter. Will the same people who go on holidays to other countries dare to do the same? Then why do they do this in our beautiful country? What stops them from throwing the waste in the bins provided?” said a store manager of famous eateries outlet in Panjim.
When Team Herald tried to speak with the locals and tourists in Panjim, they refused to comment on this matter stating that “Please I do not want to say anything on this matter,” said Vishal Singh, a tourist.
People with civic sense rarely throw dirt in shopping malls or restaurants which have garbage bins installed.
“Till the people’s attitude changes, this cannot be stopped. People just throw away the garbage or any other leftovers without thinking of the dire consequences on the environment and health. This further leads to flies and insects feeding upon the waste and later biting humans and causing a variety of diseases,” said Rajan Kelkar, an environmentalist
“The government has still not taken a stand on this issue. There are various rules and regulations that are in force but nothing is implemented and the government does not give importance on the health hazards issue,” he added.
The consequences and effects of garbage are very dangerous to human health. Awful waste management practices can result in air pollution and can cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects. Contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body and even the waste that ends up in water bodies negatively changes the chemical composition of the water and can be termed as water pollution. This will influence all ecosystems existing in the water and will cause harm to aquatic life, says environmentalists.
Recently garbage and other waste accumulated in gutters had choked the capital leaving the entire area flooded for almost an hour, with water entering the shops and causing inconvenience to citizens and tourists.
