The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), at its recent board meeting, approved key reforms to strengthen Goa’s waste management system. Giving a push to transform garbage handling, the GWMC said that a PET bottle recycling pilot project will be set up with the assistance of the Village Recyclers Foundation to empower women self-help groups.
Goa has been talking about eliminating the plastic menace for over a decade now. We even have laws for it, but enforcement has been dismal. Some municipalities and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) have tried to impose fines and introduce alternatives to single-use plastic. It is not easy for civic bodies to achieve much unless there is government backing. If the authorities take the initiative, their work becomes easier. It is not just about providing alternatives to single-use plastic but also about tackling the manufacturing of plastic. Advisors to the government must realise the harm single-use plastic causes to the environment. It contributes to land and water pollution, damages animal habitats, and releases microplastics into the food and water chain. The government must unveil a multi-phase plan to eliminate single-use plastic. This will be an important element in achieving the target of Viksit Goa by 2037.
Segregation is another important component of waste management. The GWMC has rightly decided to implement five-way segregation in educational institutions and to install sanitary waste incinerators and dispensers in all government offices. Training students in segregation of waste will go a long way in improving the system in the long run.
The corporation has also decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to launch a waste management technician course and to set up a centre of excellence for training employees of urban local bodies. It has also taken a decision to remove legacy hazardous waste from a Cuncolim plant and to promote decentralised biomethanation.
Looking at Indore, which a group of journalists recently visited, there is much to learn for Goa. Like Panaji, Indore has also been developed under the Smart City Mission. The work undertaken in Indore is for all to see and emulate. Most Indian cities are known for their urban filth, yet Indore has bagged the cleanest city award for the eighth year in a row. The Indore Municipal Corporation, along with the Smart City Mission, has achieved something no other city in the country has.
Indore’s policies include a Healthy Street Policy, CCTV Surveillance Policy, integration of IT applications in urban infrastructure, and restoration of cultural and economic heritage. The mission aims to use digital technology, knowledge, and assets to improve city services and make the city more responsive to citizens. Indore’s Collector said that success was achieved due to the active involvement and cooperation of its citizens. The city uses approximately 1,800 CCTV cameras to monitor public spaces for littering, which helps enforce cleanliness rules. As part of its enforcement, fines are imposed for offences such as spitting in public.
For Goa, which is battling an ever-increasing plastic challenge, there are quite a few pointers to take from Indore, the key being determination and the will to crack down, along with citizen cooperation. If there is a lack of awareness among citizens, then the government must address it. Besides students, NGOs and activists need to be involved in the programme. If the city of Indore, with a population of nearly 34 lakh, can achieve this, then the state of Goa, with a population of 15 lakh, surely can.
