TEAM HERALD
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CORTALIM: A structure meant to house market vendors has been turned into a garbage waste site with the Velsao-Pale-Issoricm Panchayat dumping garbage bags in it.
Admitting that garbage has been dumped, Sarpanch Fatima Pereira told Herald that this arrangement was purely temporary till a plastic collection shed at Issorcim was completed.
Admitting that the garbage bags have remained uncollected for a couple of months, the sarpanch blamed it on the residents, particularly from Issorcim, for mixing wet garbage with plastic waste as a result of which the agency has refused to collect the plastic waste.
“I have seen myself that residents have been mixing wet garbage with plastic waste. Obviously, the agency will refuse to collect the waste. I have to segregate them for which I require workers to sort out the waste,” Pereira told Herald.
“I had even approached our MLA Alina Saldanha who assured me of all help to dispose the plastic garbage, but the problem of wet garbage is causing the problem,” Pereira said.
Pereira further said the government wages of Rs 150 per worker is too less. “Now, I am seeking help under the NREGA scheme to sort out the garbage in order to lift the waste bags,” said Pereira.
She regretted that the plastic waste collected under the plastic drive some months ago is still lying in the panchayat premises.
The accumulation of garbage has also drawn criticism from the villagers who have alleged that meat is being sold in the same shed which could cause health problems.
“There are worms in the complex because of the garbage and meat is sold in the same complex,” said Vincent Rodrigues from Velsao who feared that epidemic could break out in the village.
