TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Hazard a guess what the villages of Colva, Benaulim and Varca along Salcete’s coastal belt have in common.
Well, they are the most favoured destination of both foreign and domestic tourists down south, one may say. But ask villagers of these three coastal villages, and they will point out to the ban on construction activity upon orders of the High Court. In fact, three years down the line, the three panchayat bodies are coping up with the provisions to put up a mechanism in place for the treatment of dry and wet garbage in their respective villages.
While there’ s a blanket ban on all types of constructions in Benaulim and Varca, Colva is barred from issuing licenses for multi-dwelling units, with the court restricting the Panchayat’s power to issue licenses only to single dwelling units and compound walls.
Says Varca Sarpanch Charlton Lourenco: “The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had recently inspected our system for disposal of both dry and wet wastes. The Panchayat had initiated the process of tackling both dry and wet waste during the tenure of my predecessor Luiza Rodrigues and the same continues till date. The Panchayat is confident that the day is not far when the ban will be finally lifted, giving relief to people, especially, those applying for single dwelling units”.
His Benaulim counterpart Royla Fernandes claimed that the village panchayat has covered a lot of ground as far as tackling dry waste is concerned. “We have almost put in place the mechanism for collection of dry waste. Efforts are on to meet the expectations of the Pollution Board in respect of wet waste,” she added, while exuding confidence that the High Court would lift the ban on construction activity.
Colva Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves said the Colva Village Panchayat is in the process of setting up a segregation unit for dry waste. “We have identified a site, which has received clearances from the GSPCB and the CRZ. A shed would be erected on the plot of land before waste segregation takes place,” he added.
Incidentally, Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva feels that injustice has been done to the three village panchayats in his Benaulim constituency with the construction ban. “Other villages are facing worst conditions than Colva, Benaulim and Varca. Efforts are on to identify suitable sites for waste segregation in both Benaulim and Colva,” Caitu said, while exuding confidence that the ban may finally go within the next six months given the ground work carried out by the three village panchayats.
