The Times of India 28.09.2009
Door-to-door garbage collection comes a cropper in Mapusa
MAPUSA: More than a year after introducing the door-to-door garbage collection concept in Mapusa, residents are yet to come to terms and continue, on the sly, to dump thrash in the open.
Mounds of garbage are found scattered at various places in the city.
Besides acting as an eyesore, the garbage in the open is an invitation for all kinds of diseases, even as the administration is toiling to contain swine flu and other epidemics in the state.
When the Mapusa Municipal Council began to collect garbage door-to-door, the civic body removed most of the garbage bins from around the city. In a wide spread awareness campaign, residents were also sensitized on the necessity of the door-to-door plan. Today, instead of the ubiquitous garbage bins stand heaps of waste, even as the civic body chooses to look the other way.
Mapusa chairperson Rupa Bhakta refused to blame her staff or the employees engaged in the collection of door-to-door garbage. "Citizens of Mapusa have no civic sense," the chairperson retorted when TOI brought to her attention that garbage has been piling up in her own ward.
She explained how people wish to keep their surroundings clean but don't mind dumping waste in somebody else's compound.
"We have a door-to-door garbage collection system in place. But some residents seem to ignore the daily workers who collect garbage and prefer to dump their waste in the open," Bhakta said.
Former chairperson and councillor Subhash Narvekar agreed that door-to-door collection was definitely a better option. "The city looks cleaner without the garbage bins," he said."Unfortunately, some of the residents have not been cooperating and dump their waste in the open even in my ward," Narvekar said.
It appears that some residents are not comfortable with the idea of paying a nominal fee or Re 1 per day for the door-to-door service, Narvekar disclosed.
The council was toying with the idea of collecting Rs 365, as garbage fee, along with the annual house tax from all residents. Probably then residents will be forced to avail of the door-to-door service, said one of the officials in the civic body. "We discussed the plan of merging garbage fees with the house tax," Narvekar said, but disclosed that there were some residents in Mapusa who were paying house tax which was less than Rs 365 and therefore the idea may not succeed. Bhakta said that the council and its employees were ready to walk an extra mile to ensure a clean city but expected equal support and cooperation from its citizens.
She disclosed plans to impose a fine on members of the public who are found dumping garbage on streets and open spaces. "I will discuss the proposal, of imposing some kind of penalty on defaulters, with all the councillors," the chairperson said. The council could consider imposing fine, said Narvekar, and disclosed that such provision existed in the Waste Management Act.
Mounds of garbage are found scattered at various places in the city.
Besides acting as an eyesore, the garbage in the open is an invitation for all kinds of diseases, even as the administration is toiling to contain swine flu and other epidemics in the state.
When the Mapusa Municipal Council began to collect garbage door-to-door, the civic body removed most of the garbage bins from around the city. In a wide spread awareness campaign, residents were also sensitized on the necessity of the door-to-door plan. Today, instead of the ubiquitous garbage bins stand heaps of waste, even as the civic body chooses to look the other way.
Mapusa chairperson Rupa Bhakta refused to blame her staff or the employees engaged in the collection of door-to-door garbage. "Citizens of Mapusa have no civic sense," the chairperson retorted when TOI brought to her attention that garbage has been piling up in her own ward.
She explained how people wish to keep their surroundings clean but don't mind dumping waste in somebody else's compound.
"We have a door-to-door garbage collection system in place. But some residents seem to ignore the daily workers who collect garbage and prefer to dump their waste in the open," Bhakta said.
Former chairperson and councillor Subhash Narvekar agreed that door-to-door collection was definitely a better option. "The city looks cleaner without the garbage bins," he said."Unfortunately, some of the residents have not been cooperating and dump their waste in the open even in my ward," Narvekar said.
It appears that some residents are not comfortable with the idea of paying a nominal fee or Re 1 per day for the door-to-door service, Narvekar disclosed.
The council was toying with the idea of collecting Rs 365, as garbage fee, along with the annual house tax from all residents. Probably then residents will be forced to avail of the door-to-door service, said one of the officials in the civic body. "We discussed the plan of merging garbage fees with the house tax," Narvekar said, but disclosed that there were some residents in Mapusa who were paying house tax which was less than Rs 365 and therefore the idea may not succeed. Bhakta said that the council and its employees were ready to walk an extra mile to ensure a clean city but expected equal support and cooperation from its citizens.
She disclosed plans to impose a fine on members of the public who are found dumping garbage on streets and open spaces. "I will discuss the proposal, of imposing some kind of penalty on defaulters, with all the councillors," the chairperson said. The council could consider imposing fine, said Narvekar, and disclosed that such provision existed in the Waste Management Act.
