TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Burning of plastic waste generated by the stalls erected for the Colva Fama in the fields and on road sides triggered outrage amongst social activists, who have called for action against the culprits.
Colva Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves, however, said the Panchayat is not involved in the collection and burning of waste. He also expressed his inability to rein in on the miscreants for want of adequate staff, including a full time panchayat secretary.
As smoke was found billowing from the fields opposite the Church and other places along the road which played host to the stalls during the last eight days. Activists slammed the authorities, including the panchayat, for not putting a mechanism in place to tackle the plastic waste. “At a 2012 gram sabha, it was resolved that the traditional fair on the occasion of Fama should not be more than three days. Every year, the mixed waste used to lie abandoned in the fields for months together. But, this time around, they have found an easy way to dispose off the waste by burning,” protested social activist Judith Almeida. ‘This is nothing but rubbish development of the panchayat body. The panchayat body has no will to put a mechanism in place. They installed the mobile toilets only on the day of the Fama, while the stall owners answered nature’s call in the fields behind the cemetery,” she said, while demanding to know why the Panchayat did not erect bins for the waste collection.
When contacted, Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves feigned ignorance about the burning of waste. “The panchayat is not involved in the burning. We do not know who is behind the exercise. We have not employed anyone to do the work,” he added.
Snowkon said the panchayat had written a letter to the district collector for police protection to remove the Fama stalls after three days. “The panchayat has received a letter from the Collector only after the sixth day of the Fama. The panchayat cannot be blamed for the delay,” he said.
Waste burning close to Colva church angers local activists
MARGAO: Burning of plastic waste generated by the stalls erected for the Colva Fama in the fields and on road sides triggered outrage amongst social activists, who have called for action against the culprits.
