Team Goemkarponn
CALANGUTE: Highlighting the growing garbage problem along Goa’s coastal belt, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has raised concerns over both the performance of the waste management facility and the littering habits of domestic tourists.
Speaking on the issue, Lobo acknowledged the efforts of the earlier team managing the state’s waste treatment facility but said the new staff are not performing up to the mark. “I have spoken to the Chief Minister regarding this, and he will hold a meeting at the plant this week or by Monday to ensure that the facility functions as it did before,” Lobo said. He added that for the coastal belt, the plant has a capacity of 250 tonnes, and any load beyond this would make it unsustainable. Lobo also emphasized that Mormugao Taluka should have its own treatment facility, even if small, to manage local waste efficiently.
Turning to the issue of public behavior, Lobo criticized domestic tourists for littering. “Littering is inbuilt in Indian tourists,” he said, citing repeated appeals for cleanliness under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He urged visitors to follow the PM’s example, noting Modi’s personal participation in a beach cleanup in Lakshadweep and his call for citizens to maintain clean beaches across India.
Lobo stressed the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining Goa’s scenic beauty. “He launched the Swachh Bharat movement to keep India clean and make it prosperous. We have to keep our surroundings clean. Only then will India progress,” he said.
He also suggested that videos capturing irresponsible tourist behavior be forwarded directly to the Prime Minister. “If we don’t act now, our beaches will lose their charm and become dumping grounds,” Lobo warned.
