Kamat calls for segregation of waste at source
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Hit by negative publicity over dilly dallying on starting the door-to-door waste collection scheme, the Margao Municipality on Saturday conducted an awareness programme at Aquem, even as local MLA Digambar Kamat asserted that the city’s garbage problem will remain unresolved if there’s no segregation of waste at source.
The civic body now plans to start the door-to-door waste collection project in the Aquem area from July 1, covering the households falling within the Power House-St Sebastian Church-Vidyanagar area.
Addressing the representatives of the 14 housing societies spread across Aquem area, Kamat said the door-to-door waste collection exercise will not succeed without the cooperation and support of the citizens. “Support to the scheme should come from the heart. No one should think that the project is dumped on them by the government or the municipal body. Door-to-door is for the benefit of all citizens,” Kamat said.
Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) consultant Gaurav Pokle said the municipality will supply each household two bins, to take care of wet and dry waste. He said that the door-to-door waste collection drive is running successfully in many a municipality and panchayat body in the State.
Newly-appointed MMC Chief Officer Narayan Sawant said the scheme would turn out a success only with the cooperation of the citizens. “We are there to help you out and resolve any problem that comes your way. But, the scheme will not succeed without your cooperation,” he told the citizens.
Councillor Damu Shirodkar, representing ward No 20, told the media that citizens from the Aquem area have committed their support to the proposal. “We are going ahead with the door-to-door project in Aquem from July 1 whether the bins come in or not,” Damu asserted.
MMC Chairperson Gonzaco Rebello and Councillors also attended the program.
Avertano vows to make his constituency garbage free
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado has on Saturday vowed to make Navelim constituency garbage free.
“We will lay emphasis on segregation of the waste into dry and plastic. While a site will be identified to convert the dry waste into compost, the plastic waste will be lifted away by the government agencies,” he told the media after launching a garbage collection rickshaw at Rumdamol in Navelim constituency.
“Garbage is a major nuisance the State is facing today and Navelim is not an exception. In Navelim, we have initiated door-to-door waste collection. We have now decided to give one rickshaw to each of the Panchayats in the constituency,” he said, while exuding confidence that funds would start flowing to tone up the garbage disposal mechanism.
When the media has sought to know whether the panchayats in his constituency have a waste disposal site or a treatment plant to treat the waste generated in the villages, the fisheries minister said efforts will be made to put a mechanism in place to collect waste door-to-door.
Rumdamol Sarpanch Mohammed Samiullah told the media that the rickshaw will help collect the waste and dump the same on the open space admeasuring 18,000 sq mts in the village. “The panchayat has been segregating waste in the open space since the last many years. The rickshaw will help transport the waste from the bins to the open space”, he added.
