PANAJI: The state is not sparkling clean as yet, though the Chaka Chak, Goa (CCG) campaign was rolled out with much fanfare nearly five months ago on Republic day.
The village panchayats are either totally disinterested or the interest levels are not enough to carry it forward, say garbage managers.
Lack of political will, inactive management committees and problems in identifying sites are major reasons for Chaka Chak Goa moving at a snail's pace. "The panchayats are too slow in taking the schemes forward," says Patricia Pinto, state coordinator, CCG.
Many environment conscious villagers, irked by the sight of garbage strewn around, are keen on installing a waste management system. "But you can't force a village to have a system if the people sit back and wait for things to happen," says Pinto.
The garbage management committees in panchayats, which can serve as pressure groups at village level, are largely dormant. "Though there are some villagers in these committees, they are not pressurizing the panchayats to avail of the scheme," Pinto said.
"The sarpanchas and panchas do not seem interested. And we have to keep calling them to form the committees," says Valerie Madre Deus, CCG North Goa coordinator. Agrees K D Sadhale, co-ordinator for central Goa. "The campaign has elicited lukewarm response from some sarpanchas. They are more interested in awarding the contract to some private agency to lift the garbage on an annual basis," he said. Moreover, the panchayat bodies are run by paid staff, who already have their work cut out.
But while many panchayats are yet to form committees, a few village groups are compelling their panchayats to take up plans for door-to-door collection. "Villagers in Mandrem, Siolim and some other panchayats are pushing their panchayats to show initiative in taking up the scheme," said Clinton Vaz, CCG South Goa coordinator.
"Some panchayats contacted us, but the main requirement to avail funds is setting up of infrastructure to store the collected waste," Pinto said. In some panchayats, these bodies are yet to find a place while others are yet to commence work to erect a shed or enclosure for dry waste.
Infrastructure should not be a problem if panchayats are determined to pursue the scheme, Vaz said. "Some panchayats have taken rooms or godowns on hire while Varca and another panchayat are storing it in one of the rooms of their own panchayats," he said.
Sadhale said that opposition to locating storage points is also hindering selection of sites. "Some do not want the storage point near their compounds," he said.
Courtesy:Times Of India
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