Goemkarponn Desk
CANACONA: Agonda with its inept handling and collection of Garbage has not only led but have shown the way as to how a panchayat can effectively tackle garbage if worked with dedication and commitment.
In as huge turnaround from its past murkier garbage imbroglio, Agonda panchayat over the period of time is in the forefront to conduct beach-cleaning and strategic panchayat area cleaning drives to keep the village clean and according panchayat secretary Amol Naigaonkar, this is happening since during the Bharat Bharat Mission Abhiyan –I (Oct’2014-2019), while the the Bharat Bharat Mission Abhiyan –II (Feb’2020 untill 2024) is being persued in a more vigorous manner.
With a main concept to keep the village and its environment more clean and hygienic, more and more cleanliness drives are being held on Beaches and strategic locations, we are in the process of issuing Toilet to the families who have missed the facility, We are also trying our best to change the human behaviour towards keeping their sorroundings clean as well as every school in the village will be provided with Boys and Girls separate Toilets’, informed Naikgaonkar.
Interestingly, leaving the previous (years back) chaotic garbage situation in the village, the Panchayat with the active involvement of Sarpanch and the panchas has not only drawn but working in a systematic manner and has almost the garbage imbroglio in which the village was drowning, has become a thing of the past.
Besides, having a mini-garbaga compactor, Agonda panchayat has hired two other vehicles including a rickshaw and a Tata-Mobile vehicle solely to collect the the garbage. There are 8 persons including a driver (campactor) solely devoted to Garbage collection.
While the Dry and Wet garbage is collected on a daily basis from the streak of Beach-Shacks, Restaurants, Resorts, Huts that has come up on the 3-kilometre beach stretch of Agonda coast, the road-side strewn garbage is cleaned twice a week and once a week collection is made from each of the houses in the entire village.
According to Panchcyat secretary, there is a daily generation of 800-900 kgs of dry Waste and between 900-1200 kgs of Wet waste alone, (the collection of wet waste also goes beyong 1200 kg on Saturday’s and Sundays’)-
The panchcyat with active involvement of Sarpanch Fatima Rodrigues has also held a few cleaning drives, besides organised and addressed corner meetings on cleanliness in the village.
Incidentally, Wall–painting activity to bring public awareness on Swatch Bharat Mission Abhiyan is aqrranged in the village.
While all the collected , but segregated Garbage is taken on the Garbage Treatment Plant, especially set-up at an isolated place in the village, the wet-garbage is treated in the Composting-Unit (machine) and dry waste is bailed at the bailing machine at the plant. The bailed dry waste is than despatched to Goa Waste Management Site.
It may be recalled, Agonda is known to reel in the garbage mess, with people acusing several Tourism stakeholders and residents alike for throwing garbage out in the open and roadside, making several parts of the streets and certain road-side places as Black-Spots.
