Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Residents of Aquem Margao along with Congress leader Savio Coutinho slammed the Margao Municipal Council for its total failure in waste management; more particularly opposite Vishal Mart/Silver Jewel Complex and behind the Costa factory.
Local resident Dr. Sudhindra AN complained about the huge quantity of filth found strewn near their complex on a daily basis, which is not carted away on a regular basis leading to foul conditions in the vicinity. He also informed me about malaria cases and diarrhoea being reported in his complex.
Robert Vaz said that even after informing the local Councillor about issues concerning the cleaning of the area, we got a response that sufficient workers and trucks were not provided by the Chairperson to her. Mr Vaz sought to remind the Chairperson and Chief Officer of the Council that people from all the 25 wards of MMC pay taxes and that such discrimination would not be tolerated.
Savio Coutinho demanded that a medium for registering complaints should be put in place in the form of QR scanning to inform the concerned officials about the location where waste is not picked up.
He said further that the Council has implemented the option of collecting the sanitation fees directly through the house tax but has failed to provide a system to register complaints. “All over Margao we hear of complaints from people that the waste collection workers remain absent somedays, but the bills obtained by us under RTI showed absolutely no deduction for any absenteeism”, Mr. Coutinho said confirming the nexus between the private agency and MMC officials.
The residents also complained about the garden/green waste/tender coconut found waste accumulated all along the roads, and a possible threat of becoming a good place for mosquito breeding.
They warned the Council of adopting harsher methods of protest if the Council failed to address the issue immediately.