Team Herald
MARGAO: The trend of roadside garbage dumping in Margao persists, highlighting the need for the Margao Municipal Council to take more decisive action. Despite the Council’s recent efforts to nab and fine litterbugs, enforcement remains weak, and residents, annoyed.
Locals rue that unknown miscreants continue to dump waste—including chicken carcasses and other waste from butcher shops—along the roadside in border areas and known garbage ‘black spots’.
As a result, both citizens and MMC councillors are calling for the civic body to deploy staff during daytime to monitor and address the waste dumping, particularly in the outskirts of the town.
The municipal council had recently increased efforts to combat roadside garbage dumping by forming special night-time patrol teams. Officials have been positioned at key locations, successfully apprehending several offenders in the act of dumping waste.
However, there has been a noticeable lack of daytime vigilance from the civic body, allowing offenders to resume their illegal waste disposal.
Speaking to O Heraldo, councillor Mahesh Amonkar stressed that a limited-time initiative is insufficient to address the issue. “The Municipality has excess staff, and with proper planning, some of them could be assigned to monitor the borders during the daytime to catch the culprits responsible for dumping waste.”
Amonkar also called for police assistance in tackling the problem, alleging that despite providing evidence, the police often seem indifferent and often fail to take action against those dumping garbage at the civic borders. Fatorda resident Caitan D’Souza called the municipality’s initiative, “a mere eye wash.” “The civic body must develop effective waste management plans. Roadside dumping will persist unless a proper system is established. There is a need for collaboration with neighbouring village panchayats to address the issue holistically,” he suggested.