Margao Municipal Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar on Monday, July 7, 2025, made a strong appeal for greater responsibility and cooperation in waste management, stating that discussions around garbage are futile unless citizens acknowledge their role in generating it. Addressing the media, Shirodkar emphasized the urgent need for proper waste segregation at source.
“We should not keep talking about garbage as if it’s someone else’s problem—we are the ones who create it,” Shirodkar said. “If waste is not segregated, we simply cannot process it.”
Shirodkar clarified that the Solid Waste Management Facility operated by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is equipped with machines that require segregated waste to function efficiently. The current practice of sending mixed or unsegregated garbage, he said, is not only hampering processing but also putting additional strain on the system and workforce.
In a direct message to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), he stated, “We have clearly asked the SGPDA to hand over segregated garbage. Our machines do not accept unsegregated waste, and this is creating operational issues.”
He stressed that waste segregation is not just the responsibility of municipal workers or the SGPDA but must start from households, markets, and commercial establishments. Without collective effort, he warned, the city would continue to face mounting garbage problems, despite having the infrastructure to manage it.
Shirodkar’s remarks come amid rising public concern over visible garbage accumulation in parts of Margao and the challenges faced by sanitation staff in managing daily waste loads.
The Chairperson’s call serves as a reminder that effective waste management begins with citizens and institutions doing their part—starting with the simple yet critical task of segregating dry and wet waste.