Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has kicked off the process to select a contractor for a major Statewide initiative to clear litter from national highways, State highways, and district roads.
The government-backed move aims to address growing piles of roadside waste and restore Goa’s reputation as a clean and attractive tourist destination.
As per the tender documents, the waste-collection work has been split into three zones — North (129 km daily), Central (155 km daily), and South (135 km daily).
The appointed contractor will be tasked with clearing garbage within a 10-metre radius on both sides of the roads, segregating wet and dry waste, and transporting the collected material to authorised treatment facilities at Saligao, Cacora, or the biomedical waste plant at Kundaim.
The tender lays down several technology-driven requirements: GPS-enabled pickup vehicles, GPS-linked ID wearables for workers, and QR-coded collection bags that will allow GWMC to track the origin and volume of waste. A dedicated mobile app will enable real-time supervision of ground operations.
Staffing and logistics norms have also been specified — at least one worker for every 4 km stretch of road and one covered pickup vehicle for every 35 km. A quick response team must also be kept on standby for emergency waste removal.
To enforce compliance, the government has proposed stiff penalties: ₹5,000 for each uncleared black spot, ₹1,000 per km per day for skipped cleaning, and ₹2,500 for any garbage or leachate spilled during transport.
Officials said the tender includes strict financial and operational eligibility criteria to ensure only competent agencies take up the work. “This is not just about cleaning highways; it’s about bringing transparency and accountability into waste management,” a senior GWMC official said.
The ambitious project is expected to drastically improve the cleanliness of Goa’s major roads, which often bear the brunt of waste dumping during tourist season. Authorities hope that the tech-enabled monitoring and tough enforcement framework will set a new standard for maintaining public spaces in the State.
