Team Goemkarponn
TALEIGAO: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant today warned that pollution poses a serious threat to Goa’s hard-earned development and appealed for strict public responsibility to protect the State’s fragile environment.
Speaking at the 64th state-level Goa Liberation Day function at the Goa University ground, Sawant said that despite being liberated 14 years after India’s Independence, Goa has moved ahead of many states in terms of infrastructure, health and education. However, he cautioned that environmental neglect could reverse these achievements.
“Goa is a tourist state, and cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility — Goans, tourists and industries,” the Chief Minister said, issuing a strong warning against dumping industrial waste into rivers and littering roads with garbage.
He stressed that pollution of water bodies and public spaces not only harms the environment but also damages tourism and public health.
Sawant highlighted that Goa has achieved 100 per cent coverage under schemes such as Har Ghar Nal Se Jal, Har Ghar Bijli and Har Gram Sadak, but said these gains would be meaningless if rivers, beaches and villages are choked with waste.
He called on people to support panchayats and municipalities, which he said are working tirelessly to manage waste and maintain cleanliness.
Emphasising long-term consequences, the Chief Minister said that rising pollution directly affects health, quality of life and the State’s image.
“The Goa liberated by our freedom fighters must be preserved as a clean and healthy State for the next generation,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s appeal comes at a time when concerns over waste disposal, river pollution and environmental degradation are increasing, particularly in tourist-heavy areas, making public cooperation critical to safeguarding Goa’s future.
