Further to my report on the bull-dozzing/levelling of the mud piles on the NH-17 of 6/Oct, (not published on GOANET) where I cautioned the Chief Officer of the Mapusa Municipality of dire consequences if the garbage was pushed into the Mapusa River, with copies to Dy. Col, Mapusa; Collector, Panjim; Pollution Control Board; Sarpanch, Bastora and Sarpanch, Guirim, with the acknowledment copy filed at the Bombay High Court at Goa for information, (7/OCT), I was happy to see, while returning from the High Court (7/Oct) that the mud piles which were free of garbage were only pushed out keeping the garbage laden piles intact. I had naturally thought that some sense has prevailed in the authorities after all, and they had heeded to my warning that it would be trying to erase the evidence if they pushed the garbage into the river and the fields. However, on 8/Oct, while I was travelling to Panjim (a.m.) I saw no trace of any garbage anywhere on the Highway. I stopped my car and went to investigate. It was with tears in my eyes that I saw huge mounds of garbage floating into the river and the entire river bank full of garbage. On my return from Panjim, I picked up Jyoti Studio's (Mapusa) photographer and have him take photos of the garbage floating into the river. I shall be filing another letter to the Honourable Justices enclosing the lovely photographs, first thing tomorrow morning.
Margaret Mascarenhas et al please take note. And if any of you can visit the site and shed a few tears of concern, it would be well worth it. Floriano ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cecil Pinto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 2:32 PM Subject: [Goanet] Please sign the appeal: IFFI garbage problem > To, > Shri Jaipal Reddy > Minister for Information, Publicity & Culture > Shastri Bhavan, A Wing > New Delhi - 110 001. > > Subject: IFFI and lack of waste management infrastructure in Goa. > > Dear Sir, > > We are writing to you to draw attention to the deteriorating waste > management crisis in Goa and the fear that the population influx generated > by IFFI will exacerbate the existing problem to dangerous levels. > > Background: > A few months ago, a wall of the unsegregated garbage dump in the village of > Curca, where the city of Panjim was dumping, collapsed due to heavy rains, > spewing waste into the village. In response, villagers all over Goa rose up > in protest and so far have successfully impeded the municipalities of > Panjim, Ponda and Mapusa from disposing their voluminous waste on village > land. Dumping began along highways (see attached photos) and under the > Panjim Patto Bridge. Subsequently, two petitions, one from the residents in > and around the Patto area, and one from local activist Floriano Lobo, > regarding the disastrous effects of the state and municipal authorities' > willful disregard of the indiscriminate dumping were filed in the Mumbai > High Court. They have been converted into PILs and are pending hearing. > > Immediate Concerns:
