Team Herald
PANJIM: The State unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly opposed the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) notified by the Environment Department, alleging that it was the State government’s ploy to loot people of Goa.
The DRS is designed to reduce non-biodegradable waste in the State and consumers will pay a ‘deposit rate’ for goods packaged in non-biodegradable materials, such as plastic, aluminum, etc, which can only be refunded upon returning the waste to the designated centres.
AAP State president Adv Amit Palekar alleged that the DRS was the ‘biggest scam in the making’ and criticised the government for its attempt to impose a burden on Goans under the guise of environmental protection, while secretly profiting select private players.
On August 12, the government notified the introduction of DRS under the Environment Protection Law, designed to reduce non-biodegradable waste in the State.
Adv Palekar said, “BJP, now known as the ‘Bhrashta Janata Party’, has corrupted every sector and is now eyeing the waste management sector for profits. They are appointing a Hyderabad-based company that failed miserably during its pilot project in Kedarnath. Why is the State government intent on making this company rich at the cost of Goans?”
Adv Palekar warned that the scheme will directly hit the pockets of Goans. The government will not collect waste door-to-door. Common people will have to bear the extra costs of DRS and spend their own money to deliver the waste to collection centres. How can a government, already hiking the prices of essentials like milk and vegetables, ask people to pay more and then drive to collection points to return plastic bottles?”
The AAP president also highlighted the severe impact the scheme will have on jobs and small vendors.
“Goa already recycles 90 per cent of its plastic waste through 196 Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) across the State, which employ thousands of people. This scheme will make those facilities obsolete, leaving people jobless and pushing small vendors out of business,” he said.
Adv Palekar explained that the MRFs, created in partnership with private stakeholders, have developed an efficient system for waste segregation. The new DRS law will shut these facilities, giving the lucrative recycling work to a single private company while leaving the low-value waste for existing facilities.
“Why destroy a system that is already working well? Why hand over profitable recycling to a private entity while hurting local workers?” Adv Palekar demanded to know.
Detailing how the scheme could cause widespread harm, Adv Palekar pointed out that price of daily-use goods will rise by 10-20%; jobs in garbage collection and recycling will be lost as the scheme will cripple the MRFs and the scheme will encourage smuggling from neighbouring States, where goods will be cheaper.
“The real intent of DRS is to provide recyclable garbage for free to a single company while burdening Goans with increased costs. The Sawant government is selling Goa’s waste for profit, and the people are the ones who will suffer,” Adv Palekar said, appealing to the people to come together to stop the scheme before it ruins lives and businesses, said AAP working president Valmiki Naik.
AAP vice president Roque Mascarenhas and AAP general secretary Francis Coelho were also present.