Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Illegal dumping of garbage behind a Portuguese-era school building in Corlim has sparked strong opposition from villagers, with panchayat member and former sarpanch Luciano Baptista Pereira demanding immediate corrective action and accountability.
Addressing a press conference along with local residents, Pereira expressed serious concern over the dumping of waste in and around the old school premises, calling it a threat to public health and heritage. He urged the Chief Minister and the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister to immediately stop issuing construction licences and technical clearances in Corlim until a proper Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is established in the village.
The issue came to light on Monday when residents noticed a vehicle frequently arriving at night behind the neglected school building. Upon closer observation, locals realised that the vehicle was dumping garbage at the site.
Pereira explained that the structure, which functioned as a school during the Portuguese era, was later handed over to the Corlim comunidade and subsequently to the panchayat. However, after the construction of a new community hall and relocation of panchayat operations, the old building was left unused and unrepaired.
“At present, the panchayat collects garbage using labourers hired on daily wages, but in the absence of an MRF facility, waste is being sorted on village roads,” Pereira said. He alleged that due to the lack of a designated dumping site, garbage was being dumped behind and inside the old school structure.
He further stated that on the night the incident was exposed, a vehicle carrying wet waste with leachate leaking was caught in the act, leaving an entire room of the old building filled with garbage. According to Pereira, the panchayat secretary confirmed that no resolution had been passed authorising dumping at the site, raising serious questions about who instructed the labourers to dispose of waste there.
Pereira informed that Old Goa police arrested four labourers involved in the dumping and seized the vehicle used for transporting the waste. Officials from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) also inspected the site on Monday night.
Highlighting the residents’ grievances, Pereira pointed out that the panchayat collects a garbage tax of ₹900 per household, yet has failed to provide adequate waste management facilities. He criticised the authorities for issuing construction licences despite the absence of an MRF, stating that the situation has resulted in unhygienic conditions near the panchayat office.
“During my tenure as sarpanch, there was no such issue and waste management was functioning smoothly. This problem has arisen after the new panchayat body took charge. The present sarpanch is responsible, and we will also write to the Waste Management Minister,” he said.
Residents present at the press conference echoed similar concerns, stating that despite paying garbage tax, waste collection has been irregular in several areas. They alleged that the issue has been repeatedly raised during gram sabha meetings, but discussions were obstructed by certain elements, preventing any resolution.
Panch members Viresh Asolkar and Chandrashekhar Kankonkar were also present at the briefing, lending support to the residents’ demands for immediate and sustainable waste management solutions in Corlim.
