MARGAO: A mobile tower that was reportedly installed temporarily for the BRICS summit and garbage management in the village was hotly discussed at the gram sabha on Sunday by the villagers of Sernabatim-Vanelim-Colva-Gandaulim with the sarpanch forced to promise to remove the mobile tower and the villagers agreeing for a training session on segregation at source.
Raising the issue of the mobile tower, Elvis Vas pointed out that despite raising the issue at the last gram sabha no action has been taken to remove the tower that was supposed to be erected temporarily for the BRICS summit and further pointed out that it was on a sand dune.
‘CRZ is quick to penalize people, but can they not see the tower on a sand dune and how did they permit it?” he asked and demanded that the panchayat contact the various government agencies including electricity department that has provided a connection and get the tower removed immediately.
Sarpanch Antonio Fernandes said notices sent to Indus Tower that had set up the tower have been returned un-served and argued that the panchayat was not involved since the government had permitted its installation.
However, villagers were not happy with the reply and demanded that the panchayat lodge a police complaint against the department concerned that had given permission after intimating the collector about the same.
The garbage menace in the village especially after the Colva feast and famous fama was celebrated recently, was very heatedly discussed with the sarpanch appealing to the villagers to identify a place where the collected dry waste could be stored.
Two panchayat members lamented that they had collected the waste and kept it at their houses as villagers complained bitterly that the contractor does not collect the garbage regularly from the houses.
Sarpanch held the people responsible for non-collection of garbage because, he said, they were not giving segregated garbage while the contractor is appointed only to collect dry garbage.
Francisco Goes, a villager who is a teacher by profession, stressed the need to educate the people in each and every house on garbage segregation. He said that the segregated garbage could even be sold. “I have been selling all my garbage at home,” he said expressing his willingness to conduct a workshop for the villagers.
As many villagers asserted that the garbage problem in the village was primarily due to the commercial establishments, it was decided to invite them also for the workshop to be conducted on November 19 evening.
There was a strong opposition to the panchayat collecting parking fees as proposed by some and it was decided that each panchayat member work out the modalities of cleaning their respective wards.
The accumulation of sand at the entrance to the beach where vehicles are parked was also discussed and the panchayat was directed to fix up a date when all villagers would gather and clean the parking square and also market area of the village.
Responding to a panchayat member’s question as to why the government was not banning factories manufacturing plastic carry bags of below 40 microns, it was resolved to write to the chief minister to ban such factories.
The degradation of Charco de Campo lake and its stinking water was also raised and it was decided to inspect the lake with officials of Pollution Control Board and Health Department along with the panchayat members.
The need of having premises for The Colva Seraulim Service Co-op Society Ltd was also raised and the panchayat was asked to permit the Fabrica to construct a room in an area earmarked for open space as the society is needed by the people.
