HC orders panchayats to indicate steps taken to set up garbage disposal
NT Staff Reporter Panaji, Oct 30 Twenty six coastal village panchayats in Goa have been asked to file affidavits by the High Court indicating steps taken by them for identifying land and obtaining necessary approvals for setting up landfill sites for disposing garbage.The notice was served on October 3, 2007 and the village panchayats have to reply within six weeks. The focus fell on these 26 coastal village panchayats because the garbage problem is quite acute in these places. Besides, these villages are of tourist importance. But generally, they are only a small part of the total 189 village panchayats in Goa that have been individually asked to identify land within their own jurisdictions for disposal of garbage. This was done under the governments Rural Garbage Disposal Scheme that was amended in April 2007. According to figures obtained from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), out of the total 189 village panchayats in Goa, 138 panchayats had identified land in their jurisdiction and sent their proposals to the board. But the board approved sites of only 65 village panchayats and rejected the sites of 62 panchayats. The applications of 11 village panchayats were kept pending for various reasons. A total of 51 village panchayats had not identified sites and therefore had not sent their proposals for the boards approval. When asked why as many as 62 sites were rejected, sources in the Goa State Pollution Control Board said there were various reasons like the sites are close to human habitation, or on steep slopes, or in low-lying areas, or the sites are in paddy fields. Sources said that the Central Pollution Control Board had issued guidelines for selecting these sites but it is very difficult to satisfy all these conditions in a small place like Goa. Sources also said that most of the 11 pending cases have been acted upon. Most have been approved and a few have been rejected. When asked if any action will be taken against those village panchayats that have not sent their applications at all, the director of panchayats, Mr Menino DSouza said he has to check why they have not sent in their applications. He said some village panchayats have genuine grievances like a total absence of suitable sites. For example, the village panchayat of Majorda has claimed that the only suitable sites are all located in low-lying areas and thus not acceptable to the Goa Pollution Board. But if village panchayats have failed to send their applications without any valid reason, action will have to be taken against these panchayats, Mr DSouza said. The 65 village panchayats, whose proposals have been approved by the board, now have to approach the directorate of panchayats for administrative approval and expenditure sanction for acquisition of land. After that, the proposals will be sent to the revenue department for initiating land acquisition procedure and the urgency clause is expected to be applied to expedite the process. In this regard, only one village panchayat in Goa, Veling-Priol, has succeeded in going this far. Their land acquisition procedure has already started, Mr DSouza informed. Once the garbage disposal site is ready, the plan is to segregate the garbage at source. The biodegradable garbage will be vermicomposted. It has been established that 80 per cent of the waste is plastic. There are plans to shred the plastic through plastic shredders and the shredded plastic will then be used in black topping of roads. The directorate of panchayats is talking to the PWD in the hope they will take the shredded plastic, blend it with bitumen before using it in the blacktopping of roads. But it is learnt that the directorate of panchayats has not received a response from the PWD on this. http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=103113 Sanny de Quepem <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
