PANAJI: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has worked in tandem with management students once again and has streamlined and shored up its solid waste management system with regards to tackling waste from the Panaji market, among the largest generators of waste in the capital city.

A project report by four students, Niranjan Mallya, Jay Botadra, Lynn Bouselly and Bhavini Gohil from the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Ribandar, has identified some of the weak points in the solid waste management system, which has been taken into consideration, and corrective measures are in various stages of implementation by the CCP.

The students conducted a survey through a questionnaire in the market, divided the CCP staff into two groups and decided that the best way to identify the problems and find a solution would be by observing the market area on different working days. The students recommended that the CCP demarcate a proper space in the market area where segregation of garbage could be done.

'The timings of garbage collection should also be changed. This is in view to ensure that segregation is done more efficiently. Workers should be made to work in three shifts instead of two. One more shift from 5 am to 7 am should be introduced to ensure that as soon as the market starts there are workers who can sweep and segregate the garbage at a time when there is most garbage thrown and mixed - which is in the morning when the shops open,' the report states.

'Also in the morning when maximum garbage is produced, bins should be kept as close to the shops as possible so the shopkeepers won't give the excuse that the bins are too far and that they can't sacrifice their business and go to throw their garbage. Instead of the two bins, bins should be kept at regular intervals at least in the morning from 6.30 am to 10.30 am,' the GIM report stated.

The management students also advised the CCP that it could clean the market floor using machines, as was done sometime back, but was stopped.

'Also a worker should be kept at the dumping site at all times during the market hours so as to make sure that no one dumps garbage without segregation and does it according to the correct colour coded bins,' the report stated.

When contacted, CCP waste management consultant and associate officer Clinton Vaz said that the CCP had considered some of the suggestions. "We have an assistant inspector on duty who ensures that there is no dumping of waste in the corners of the market. A supervisor also ensures that there is compulsory segregation of waste by the market vendors before it is taken by our trucks," he said.

"We also ended up with a lot of waste paper and plastic. An abandoned washroom is being used as temporary storage, and the next morning it is taken to our sorting centre at the Campal parade ground, and subsequently sent for recycling," Vaz said.

The CCP waste management cell comprising assistant engineer Sachin Ambe, microbiologist Dr Joe D'Souza and Vaz have also conducted meetings with vegetable vendors, fish vendors, meat vendors and slaughter houses, while also taking up the matter with vegetable wholesalers, who generate the highest quantity of waste.

"As of now, we don't charge the market vendors any fee for waste collection as we do with everyone else. However, we will charge fees soon and the vendors have accepted it," Vaz added.