Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has rolled out a fully funded door-to-door waste collection service in the village panchayats of Saligao and Pilerne, marking the first time rural local bodies in the State have received such a facility without having to share the operational cost.
Effective August 1, the Goa State Waste Management Corporation (GSWMC) has assumed responsibility for collecting segregated household waste from every residence in the two villages. The Corporation will manage the service on a daily basis, with all expenses being met by the State government.
Officials said the project will require an annual expenditure of around ₹3.5 crore. The allocation covers manpower, dedicated waste collection vehicles and operational costs associated with transporting wet and dry waste separately to ensure proper handling and disposal.
According to GSWMC Managing Director Harish Adconkar, Saligao and Pilerne were selected because of their close proximity to the Saligao Solid Waste Management Facility, making daily transportation of waste both practical and efficient.
He said the initiative is expected to improve household-level waste segregation, ensure timely collection and reduce the burden on panchayats that have been managing the service independently.
With this initiative, Saligao and Pilerne have become the only village panchayats in Goa where the State government directly finances and manages doorstep garbage collection. A similar model is currently operational only in the Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council, which is located near the State’s second waste treatment facility.
The Saligao panchayat has informed residents that collection vehicles will begin rounds every morning from 7 am. Households have been requested to keep biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste separated before handing it over to sanitation workers.
Welcoming the move, Saligao Sarpanch Lucas Remedios said the new system would greatly ease the panchayat’s responsibility, as maintaining a regular waste collection service had become increasingly challenging.
He also urged villagers to continue segregating waste at source, pointing out that the panchayat had previously distributed separate bins for wet and dry waste to households. He said public cooperation would be essential to ensure the long-term success of the programme.
