In what could lead to a major epidemic in the capital city, heaps of garbage are now seen piled on the parade ground at Campal.
For years now, Campal ground has become a dumping facility for the Corporation of the City of Panjim but now the dumping has stopped, but the garbage still remains piled there.
On May 2, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar laid the foundation stone for the football stadium, at Campal, which can house 5000 spectators.
Due to this, the garbage on the ground was excavated for shifting and treatment.
However, since last one month only 20 per cent of garbage could be removed and shifted.
“It is the same amount of garbage which was lying there earlier but was earlier compressed by road-rollers etc,” said Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) Managing Director Elvis Gomes, speaking to Herald.
He said the GSUDA has now begun segregating the garbage and that is the reason why quantity looks more.
“Dumping has stopped there long back,” he said.
Gomes was also quick to add that in one month only 20 per cent garbage was segregated and sent for treatment.
“We are segregating the plastic and sending it to Goa State Pollution Control Board, which in turn sends it to a cement plant,” he said.
Dr Oscar Rebello, who is a doctor at the adjacent hospital says the dump is absolutely hazardous.
“I don’t know whether the arrangement is short term or long term but one thing for sure is that with rain, it is bound to spread infections,” he said.
Dr Rebello further said, “The CCP Commissioner or the Mayor must intervene and see what is going on. Just during republic day or independence day it will be cleared and again after that, the residents and patients have to suffer,” he said adding, “This government promises big things like airports and bridges but the basic things they can’t take care of.”
Residents in the locality are also apprehensive about the whole garbage issue.
“The area has hospitals, playgrounds, residential units etc and the rains may make matters worse,” said a resident Vikas Palkar.
He said that the government needs to shift this as soon as possible.
However, Gomes says, “It isn’t possible with the onslaught of monsoons. It has to be segregated and shifted,” he said.
When asked why the dump was not shifted to North Goa Solid Waste Management Plant at Saligao, he said, “I can’t comment on this. But if I am told to do so, we can think about it.”
