Locals demand action against miscreants; PWD, NH officials pass the buck; GWMC may be roped in to tackle waste issue
The Navelim-Benaulim stretch of the Western bypass has virtually become a waste dumping ground for miscreants.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The stage is set for the commissioning of the long-delayed Margao Western bypass next month, which will help ease traffic congestion in the commercial capital and neighbouring Navelim village.
The government, however, may have to grapple with another burning issue after the bypass commissioning – waste dumping on the bypass stretch.
Even as the PWD, NH and the contractor is rushing with the works on the Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch so as to ensure that the bypass is commissioned by December as per Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s recent announcement, the Navelim-Benaulim stretch of the bypass has turned into an eyesore due to rampant waste dumping.
In fact, the bypass stretch has come in handy for unscrupulous elements to dispose of the garbage and waste along the Navelim stretch, so much so that one can find waste dumped along the significant portion of the bypass.
Local residents of Navelim and Benaulim have pointed out that waste dumping on the Navelim-Benaulim stretch of the bypass is not something new, with the stretch coming in handy for miscreants to dispose of the waste.
Locals further pointed out that they had in the recent past caught red-handed miscreants disposing of waste along the Navelim-Benaulim bypass stretch, but the absence of a mechanism seemed to have given a field day for unscrupulous elements to dispose of the waste along the stretch.
“We are talking of the waste dumping on the Navelim-Benaulim stretch, which was thrown open for the public over a year and half ago. Just imagine a situation when the 2.5 km Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch of the bypass is commissioned next month,” remarked local resident.
He added: “With no system in place to crack down on miscreants coupled with the absence of garbage collection and disposal mechanism, the Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch may also come in handy for unscrupulous elements to dispose of the waste along the stretch.”
PWD, NH officials, however, pointed out that the PWD has no role to play in monitoring the illegal disposal of waste along the highway stretch. “It is purely for the local bodies or the police to crack a whip against such elements since disposal of garbage in an unauthorised and haphazard manner an offence,” the official said.
A senior government official pointed out that the government will have to rope in the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to deploy its manpower to lift away the waste dumped on the western bypass. “The GWMC was in the past entrusted with the responsibility to keep the highways free from garbage and waste. Hope the government issues directions to the GWMC to also collect waste dumping on the western bypass stretch,” the officer added.
Stray cattle menace too haunts authorities
MARGAO: Blame it on waste dumping or otherwise, the authorities will have to also grapple with the stray cattle menace on the western bypass after its commissioning.
Even before the full commissioning of the western bypass, incidents of vehicles mowing stray cattle have been reported especially on the Navelim-Benaulim stretch, which was thrown open for vehicular traffic over a year ago.
In fact, a couple of stray animals were mowed down by speeding vehicles at the Navelim stretch. Waste dumping on the Navelim-Benaulim stretch of the bypass has also attracted stray animals. In fact, Friday saw stray cattle along the Navelim-Benaulim stretch, where a significant stretch was dotting with bundles of garbage disposed of by miscreants.
