Waste disposal

Being a tourist state, Goa needs to implement biomedical rules for sanitary refuse

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the government will collect sanitary as well as chicken and mutton waste from villages across the state for proper treatment. This marks a positive step forward in solid waste management. At the National Panchayati Raj Day 2026 celebrations, Sawant emphasised that there is no alternative to segregation at source.

As for sanitary waste—used sanitary napkins, diapers, tampons, incontinence sheets and the like—the government proposes to classify it as a separate category requiring dedicated handling. The Goa Waste Management Corporation has proposed a scientific mechanism for the collection and disposal of sanitary waste. According to a rough estimate, the state generates 12 tonnes of sanitary waste per day, but the amount processed and disposed of is abysmally low. Sanitary waste is often mismanaged in Goa, leading to clogged sewage systems. The government plans to arrange vehicles to collect sanitary waste twice a week from every panchayat area. Biomedical waste rules clearly stipulate what needs to be done with respect to its collection and disposal; however, on the ground, the situation is different.

Sawant said that arrangements to collect chicken and mutton waste would be made in association with the poultry association of Goa. He said this is being done to ensure that segregation at source is streamlined. Goa, being a tourist state, has not found it easy to manage meat waste. One can imagine the quantum of such waste, considering that Goa received more than one crore tourists in 2025, as per official statistics. Meat and poultry waste in Goa, primarily generated by markets and the hospitality sector, is often a source of odour and stray animal conflict.

The Goa State Pollution Control Board has moved meat shops from the ‘Green’ to the ‘Red’ category, requiring them to obtain strict consent to operate and to follow environmental regulations to prevent illegal dumping. Such decisions will go a long way in not only managing the ever-increasing load of meat waste but also in curbing potential health issues. The All Goa Poultry Shopkeepers Association collects waste from its members and sends it to an authorised treatment plant, reflecting how stakeholders can contribute to waste management. However, concerns remain, as collecting meat waste from shops that are not members of the association continues to be a challenge. In this backdrop, the Chief Minister’s announcement that the government will intervene to ensure the collection of chicken and mutton waste is a welcome step. If implemented properly, it will help keep the surroundings of meat shops clean, irrespective of whether they are members of the association or not.

In many tourist destinations, the focus is often on attracting more footfalls. If infrastructure fails to keep pace with tourist volumes, it leads to massive amounts of waste and puts facilities under strain. In Goa, waste management strategies and efforts often fall short, leading to complaints of uncleanliness and poor hygiene on social media. In the past, when individual panchayats handled waste management, it was “black gold” for some; even now, it cannot be said that this is no longer the case.

Managing waste in a tourist state like Goa requires a delicate balance between environmental concerns, public health and the aesthetic standards of a global travel hub. Goa should explore new technologies to manage the different types of waste generated. Some tourist destinations use rendering plants. The new initiatives are welcome, but their success will depend on effective implementation.