Incentivisation of waste management is good, but more needs to be done
The Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) will soon institute awards of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for the cleanest municipalities in the state. This is a positive step towards keeping our towns clean.
Speaking at the official launch of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 campaign in Panaji on Wednesday, Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the municipality that wins first place will get development projects worth up to Rs 2 crore as an incentive through the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA). The awards will hopefully spur municipal councils to reactivate themselves and focus on cleanliness.
In July, Panaji stood first in the small city category in the 20,000 to 50,000 population bracket. CCP was awarded the title ‘Swacch Sheher’ at the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25. The city was recognised for its efforts in maintaining cleanliness, waste management and public sanitation under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission. Sankhali featured in the list of small towns that show promise in being clean. On receiving the awards, Rane had spoken of CCP’s hybrid approach to waste management through the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).
Over the years, Goa has seen some good initiatives towards setting up projects to treat waste. However, managing waste has not been successful. The Saligao solid waste treatment plant was touted as one of the best in the country and with proper marketing, several delegations and study teams visited the plant. It was good for Goa’s image as, irrespective of mounds of garbage lying uncleared in some parts of the state, the plant brought in a positive development.
Originally meant to process 100 tonnes per day (TPD) for the coastal belt, the plant has now grown to 250 TPD and is handling waste from several parts of the state. Now, there’s a proposal to expand it. A buffer zone will be constructed and more land acquired. This move has met with strong opposition from residents of Saligao and neighbouring areas. The residents have had to bear a bad stench and there seems to be no solution to it. Again, land for the expansion is being sought from the Saligao comunidade.
Around a decade ago, a delegation was sent on a study tour to some European countries before the government went ahead with the Saligao plant. The plant was a blessing for the state. Everything looked fine until the government increased its capacity to more than double the original. What was the promise made at the time? That no stench would emanate from the plant and that it would be run on European standards. The residents have not forgotten this.
All this and more show that the government fails to keep its word. It failed to realise that with such an approach, citizens in other locations where new garbage treatment plants are proposed will have enough reasons to oppose.
Waste management is also dependent on manpower engaged by the agencies. The wellbeing of the workers is also important. DMA, this time, has thought of the health of the workers. The Urban Development Minister said that sanitation workers will be provided medical check-ups through Goa Medical College. All the municipalities have been asked to submit a list of the sanitation workers to the DMA.
Overall, the management of solid waste is far from satisfactory. The incentive approach is definitely good, but much more needs to be done to improve cleanliness in public places. The government must improve segregation of waste, adopt new technologies, enforce a ban on plastic, and promote smart waste collection.
