Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, on Thursday expressed concern over inadequate waste management in coastal areas stating that nearly 70 per cent of panchayats in these areas have failed to effectively manage waste. The CM cautioned that the State government would take a review of waste disposal and treatment activities in panchayats going forward and highlighted the need of a more structured approach through dedicated contractors to streamline processes. “Each panchayat should have a designated shed and the contractor must be empanelled with the Goa Waste Management Corporation,” stated Sawant.
On the face of it, there is truth to the chief minister’s observation that most of the coastal village panchayats don’t have a proper waste management system, and it is also true that most of them have failed to put processes in place. However, one must also consider the challenges that these panchayats face, because garbage disposal has been an issue not only with coastal panchayats, but across most local bodies in Goa. That some have managed to wriggle out of difficult situations through various ways, is a different question.
Take the case of Margao Municipal Council. It is flush with funds, but has always struggled to dispose garbage. They have the money, manpower, contractor, land at Sonsodo and facilities, but have failed to establish its own garbage treatment facility even now that it had to rely on faraway Saligao treatment plant initially, and now Cacora. People in these areas objecting to Margao’s waste is a clear indication that disposal of garbage remains a bigger headache for local bodies in the absence of affiliated treatment facilities. Let us not forget, that Sonsodo could transport its waste to Saligao and later at Cacora plant only after High Court’s intervention.
Panchayats in the State frequently grapple with the dichotomy between financial constraints and infrastructural development, and many find themselves ill-equipped to respond adequately. Goa faces a dilemma of a different kind when it comes to garbage. “Not in my backyard” has been the refrain in most cases as local bodies struggle to locate land for garbage management facilities. Some may be blessed with land, like in the case of Margao which has nearly 60 thousand square meters at Sonsodo, not many will have such options.
Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) installed at some places, consisting of a composting unit and a baling machine to treat wet and dry garbage on the lines of the one set up at Agonda could play a key role in garbage management. Agonda has stepped up to meet the challenges of waste generated by installing a facility that handles dry and wet waste. Sada too has set up its own facility that takes care of dry waste, so is the one at Nessai in Salcete. A material recovery facility separates recyclable materials from solid waste through manual and mechanical sorting. The recyclables are then processed for market, while the non-recyclables are sent to a landfill or other disposal facility. Again, a major roadblock to setting up MRF is unavailability of land, besides manpower and financial constraints. And disposal still remains a question.
Collection of waste, segregation and disposal has been a challenge that is faced at every locality — coastal and beyond. There are huge costs involved. Margao Municipality pays over Rs 6 crore annually to the contractor who manages the city garbage. Local bodies can’t afford the costs of a full-scale contract on the lines of Margao. An option of setting up smaller area-specific biomethanation plants is also not viable because, again, the cost runs into crores and they are not considered environmentally friendly due to the slurry that is generated.
The challenge of garbage management in coastal panchayats may not be insurmountable. However, it requires more of a collective effort and support from government and locals. Panchayats need to be equipped with necessary resources and logistical backup to tide against the garbage crisis.
