|
Garbage stench awakens Mapusa residents BY MELVYN MISQUITA
ago. But their happiness was shortlived when the MMC recently began dumping garbage near the Housing Board colony after they were asked to discontinue dumping its garbage at Curca. Since then, the residents -- spearheaded by Sanjay Mishal, president of Mapusa Housing Board Colony Residents Association (MHBCRA) -- have undertaken a relentless campaign to oppose moves by MMC to dump garbage in the area. The recent brush with the MMC took place on March 15, during the governor’s visit to inspect the dumping site. “I saw two policemen at the site and to my query, they told me that the governor was to visit the site. Sensing that efforts may be underway to finalise the site as a garbage dumping site, we immediately prepared a memorandum,” Mr Mishal told Herald. The MHBCRA then submitted the memorandum to the governor, expressing its strong objection to the dumping of garbage, after claiming that it had been stopped by then chief minister Manohar Parrikar some three years ago. “With the execption of the MMC chairman, the chief officer Jayant Tari and other municipal oficials had accompanied with the governor to the dumping site. The chief officer kept assuring the governor that the garbage would be dumped at the site as soon as possible,” said Mr Mishal. The same evening, the MHBCRA met its local councillor, Sandeep Falari, who happens to be the chairman of MMC. “To our surprise,” recalled Mr Mishal, “he claimed that he was unaware of the governor’s visit to the dumping site. Mr Falari told us that it was not within his powers and that, the matter would be dealt by the chief officer.” The next day, the MHBCRA convened a general meeting with its residents spread over the 300 houses in the area and decided to hold a demonstration outside the municipal council building, to oppose the dumping of garbage. “We then submitted a memorandum to the chief officer, who told us that MMC chairman Falari was fully aware of the governor’s visit and added that the decision to dump the garbage near the housing board had been taken by the council and not the chief officer,” Mr Mishal said. “The CO told us that if the chairman issued the necessary instructions, he (CO) would the stop the garbage dumping immediately,” Mr Mishal added. The MHBCRA then returned to Mr Falari and narrated the views of the CO. “Mr Falari assured us that the matter would be sorted out within a few days,” Mr Mishal said. He informed that the Assagao communidade has also lodged its protest against the dumping of the garbage, as the dumping site falls in its area. Mr Mishal said that the Anjuna police acted on a police complaint and seized an MMC garbage truck. “Since then, MMC has stopped dumping garbage at the site and has instead, found an alternative space behind the market yard. But to our knowledge, strong efforts are being made to acquire the land near the housing board. But we are trying our level best to oppose the project,” claimed Mr Mishal. But when asked to justify the dumping of garbage at the site near Housing Board for the last 15 years, Mr Mishal said: “That is true. But prior to that the municipality used to dump garbage behind the Mapusa cemetery. But when houses came up in the area, the MMC stopped dumping garbage. Similarly, since houses have come up at the housing board, we want that the MMC stop dumping garbage here as well.” “In any case,” he added, “80 per cent of the garbage is generated from the market. So why can’t the garbage be dumped near the market itself?” He claimed that hospitals too have been throwing their wastes at the dumping site. “Some dogs have been seen with human parts at the site. In fact, the driver of a bulldozer, while clearing the area, even spotted the body of an aborted baby at the site,” informed Mr Mishal. Stating that the site has now been infested with stray animals and mosquitoes, he feared that the area was posing a serious health hazard to residents of 300-odd houses in the area. The MHBCRA expressed its disappointment with Mr Falari for failing to address their grievances. “While the MMC chairman openly tells us that he will help us in our grievances, internally we know that he is moving the papers for the acquisition of land near the housing board,” said Mr Mishal. “He had once insisted that he would be the first to oppose the garbage dumping site and we expected him to support us in our struggle. But he has totally let us down,” Mr Mishal added. Indicating the MHBCRA’s future course of action, Mr Mishal said: “If authorities issue a notification for the acquisition of land for the garbage dumping site near our colony, then we will go to the court.” But besides taking recourse to legal action, the MHBCRA has decided to set an example by collecting and processing garbage from its own colony. “Residents of the colony have decided to dump garbage in pits located in the colony. We have sought the expertise of a company to guide us in this regard. The garbage will be segregated, whereby plastic waste will be sold to scrap dealers, while biodegradable waste will be converted into compost,” informs Mr Mishal. [Comments on this article] To comment on this report, please Click Here to contact Melvyn Misquita. |
