Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji
For a state that depends heavily on its beaches and clean public spaces, keeping Goa clean cannot stop with picking up litter. The bigger challenge is what happens to the waste after it is collected. People involved in clean-up and waste management said segregation is important if waste that can be reused or recycled is to be kept out of landfills.
Panaji councillor Jack Sukhija said, “A clean city has a big positive social and psychological impact. It creates a sense of community and reduces crime. Clean public spaces support tourism, local business, and property values. Businesses and cities often invest in upkeep because it directly affects how people perceive and use an area.”
Joan Fernandes, founder of Seas The Day, which regularly conducts beach clean-ups in Goa, said the responsibility should not be limited to World Cleanup Day. “Caring for the planet should be as natural and instinctive as breathing. Unfortunately, we’ve taken Goa for granted and the trash we litter is already choking local wildlife and community stray animals. What harms them today will inevitably hit human health tomorrow,” she said.
Director of Avana Infra, Serv Richard Dias said the responsibility continues after litter is picked up. He said people need to look at how waste is handled from the beginning, with segregation being important.
“We must make an effort to clean up the spaces around where we live, clean up our own homes for sure, but don’t pollute some other place with it,” he said.
“Unless you segregate, the solutions are very limited and most often the only solution available is putting it into a landfill,” Dias said.
Goa is also preparing to implement its Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) next year. The scheme is designed to encourage consumers to return eligible packaging so that it can be collected separately and channelled towards reuse and recycling instead of being left as litter or mixed with other waste.
Dias said the responsibility ultimately rests with individual actions as well.
“What I think the way we should be going about this is to understand that small actions… actions taken by each individual add to the collective solution and on World Cleanup Day while we must make an effort to clean up the spaces around where we live, clean up our own homes for sure but don’t pollute some other place with it,” he added.
