RESPONSE: Well responded, we do indeed need more of the same. May your tribe increase four fold.
-- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes. --------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Gabe.... One of the biggest problems which we citizens face in our wards is the amount of debris and garbage people keep dumping every second and third day on the roads and streets. In the absence of dustbins kept at a few convenient locations in each ward, the whole city has been turned into one big dump yard. Due to the CCP's limited resources, sometimes, it is not possible to clean up the mess instantly and the trash thus lies scattered there un-cleared for at least a couple of days or more, causing a stink and creating health hazards for the nearby locality residents. As a concerned citizen, I have stopped many people from dumping garbage into the St. Inez Nullah. There are other pro-active citizens like Agnel and Patricia Pinto for instance, who too have been doing this regularly. On one occasion, I filed an official complaint against a nearby Restaurant owner who used to frequently dump his garbage there. He has refrained from doing so now. On other occasions, I have even got into verbal disputes with some of my own neighbors and friends over the dumping issue. Sometimes, it is frustrating because whenever you stop someone from dumping, there is a whole queue of people waiting in line to dump. There are people who still do not realize that our streets, our surroundings and our environment are as much a part of our own lives; and which we need to keep as clean as our own homes. This is not to in any way condemn all the citizens. Those who violate the laws are a small minority. By and large, people do support the CCP initiatives and have a good civic sense, but they are made to suffer nevertheless due to such wrongful acts by a minority. Councilors -sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly – are made to face the stick and the ire of the general public, which is at times unfair. The CCP’s initiative to implement new set of by-laws and regulations to ensure cleanliness of the city are a welcome step to instill some discipline and civic sense in our city. Unless there is the fear of huge fines lingering over one’s head, there will always be the odd people who will keep using the streets as a big dustbin, caring a hoot about the environment. I welcome this fresh initiative by the CCP and am hopeful bye-laws will be unanimously adopted by all the CCP Councilors. But framing bye-laws is not enough. They have to be implemented too. The CCP must go one step further and must appoint honest and sincere street wardens and Municipal Inspectors who will regularly patrol our streets and localities and who are given enough powers to take stringent action against the violators. We will need many more of such initiatives if we wish to restore our city back to its old glory. Regards, Sandeep
