Desperate times have called for desperate measures, as the Merces panchayat has been unable to find, acquire or even buy land to dispose off garbage collected from the village.
With no solution in sight to tackle the garbage menace in Merces, the panchayat authorities are now resorting to unscientific and hazardous method of burning the waste.
This drastic measure has angered some residents at Firguem Bhat, who have taken strong exception to the panchayat’s controversial method if disposing off the waste.
“I had notified the local panch of the menace due to the uncollected garbage in my area and the panch had assured that he would direct the contractor to collect the waste. However, instead of collecting the waste, they set fire to the garbage, thereby compromising on the health of the residents,” a resident told Herald.
Stating that the panchayat has already started collecting wet and dry waste in some wards, Merces Sarpanch Walter D’Sousa said that the wet waste is disposed in a land owned by a villager.
He, however, expressed helplessness in efficiently handling the garbage menace as the panchayat does not have a garbage site of its own.
“Our efforts to dump garbage in an abandoned quarry belonging to the Murda Comunidade also met resistance from the tenants. The panchayat is now in the process of procuring documents to acquire the area to set up the garbage treatment plant,” he said.
For the Merces panchayat, it is easier said than done.
“There are cumbersome procedures to acquire land. The ideal solution would be to buy land for the garbage site, but the panchayat has no money to buy the required land at market rate. The Directorate of Panchayats is only willing to offer Rs 3,000 per sq mtr, and no one will sell us land at this rate. If garbage is dumped in a field, it will draw the ire of the Pollution Control Board,” said D’Sousa.
D’Sousa also blamed the locals for being unsupportive in solving the garbage nuisance.
“Several locals have refused to be part of the plastic collection drive initiated by the panchayat. The plastic collection drive requires the locals to segregate their waste and to keep the plastic waste separately. However, 80 per cent locals hand over mixed waste, including pampers and other unhygienic waste, due to which the workers have refused to report to work,” said D’Sousa.
“Further, several times in the past, the workers have been threatened when they go for door-do-door collection of plastic waste,” he added.
“In such a situation, how can anyone blame the panchayat when the locals do not want to contribute to solve the garbage issue,” asked D’Sousa.
On his part, the sarpanch said he is keeping a strict vigil on the vendors in his ward, who give plastic bags to the consumers. “Anyone found giving plastic bags below the specified microns is fined up to Rs 500,” he added, while stating that it is not physically possible for him to keep watch over the entire village.
“There is a need for other panchas also to remain vigilant in their areas so that the plastic menace, which is a major contributor of waste in the village, is contained,” he concluded.
