Massive cleaning drive initiated, after Herald’s ‘The war on beach garbage’ initiative
Dept meets to issue clear instructions to clean beach and by-lanes of Calangute
Notices issued to over 50 ‘defaulters’ and violators of waste management and garbage rules
All toilets to be connected to the beach sewage treatment plant
TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE/BAGA: If one swallow does makes a summer, then North Goa’s beach belt felt the heat of pro-active government action, as the Tourism Department sent in men and cleared garbage on the Calangute-Candolim beach stretch, following the launch of Herald’s “The war on beach garbage”, initiative.
Trucks were seen collecting garbage early today and meetings held as authorities initiated action to ensure that garbage was not seen on the by-lanes of the Candolim-Calangute stretch. Trucks were ordered to collect and dump garbage and various officials including the police were called up and asked to endure compliance, officials confirmed. (Related Report on Pg 3)
Instructions were also issued to all including the enforcement agencies to crack down on defaulters.
GTDC has also issued notices to more than 50 defaulters, officials claim, saying that strict action will be taken.
“Let me assure you that all defaulters will be taken to task,” the General Manager GTDC Sanjay Chodenkar promised even as he explained that the government already has plans to plug the lacunae.
According to sources, a person has already been selected for all this garbage collection including putting up of bins. But the file is with the Finance Department and so the project has got delayed.
This project will include collection and segregation too.
Some clear promises were made which will be monitored and reported by Herald. “The beaches will be the cleanest in the country, 100% of the problems will be addressed”, Chodenkar said, adding that shacks will be asked to segregate garbage at source.
However, local MLA Michael Lobo wants more affirmative action.
“The government has to understand tourism in Goa is concentrated in the Calangute belt and in Nerul, Morjim and Siolim. We have to be serious about maintaining the natural resources,” he argued.
“When tourists come to Goa, they would want to carry eatables. Since there are no dustbins, they litter the garbage in open. Shacks give assurances that they will collect garbage but they don’t,” he alleges, adding, “When tender is given to clean the garbage, a place also has to be given to treat the garbage. Contract has to be given to clean the beach thrice a day.” (See box on solution offered)
The GTDC also says that they are careful about sewage treatment.
“We have put up a sewage treatment plant worth Rs 29 lakhs. The sewage from all the toilets will be treated there and the treated water will be used for lawns. We are supposed to get the NOCs from the Pollution Control Board. Till then, the sewage is picked up by night soil tankers and carried away. This is normally done during the night,” Chodenkar, told Herald, adding, “Once this is done then all the toilets will be connected to the STP.
According to them what was on the ground was not sewage but water. One of the pipes gave way and the water spilled out, the official said, referring to the allegation of sewage water spilling out of sewage pits.
The start has been positive. But the villains are not necessarily the government. They are among us, ordinary folk who live in villages or come visiting, who do extraordinary damage to Goa’s biggest asset. Our war is against them.
