Though I am in agreement with Mervyn's below mail, I would like to make some comments.
I accept that the primary duty of garbage clearance is of the Government but that does not mean we have no responsibility. Most Indians by and large lack a sense of cleanliness as regards the surroundings tho at home they would keep their homes spic and span. It is shocking to see Indians abroad would make sure to dispose garbage properly but often many of the same Indians when they return are not concerned about the environment and join the other majority in just not caring. It is common to find that groups of picnickers would expect the place where they party and enjoy, to find that place clean but they themselves when they finish their picnic would litter the place and are least concerned about cleanliness. Though in the absence of bins, it is difficult to dispose of garbage but when a group goes on a picnic and makes all arrangements to carry so many items viz. food, drinks etc. it would be nicer to carry some garbage bags to collect the refuse in the absence of bins and make sure that the same are disposed of in the right place. One has only to go a bit out of the way to make sure that the place is clean just as we would expect the place to be clean when we go there. Just before the monsoons, I had been to Dudhsagar where the guide mentioned that the place is a plastic free zone and was impressed to see that the place is clean and natural. However just outside the main gate, I found groups of picnickers enjoying themselves eating and drinking with thrash, garbage and plastic bottles thrown all the place. It is ironic that there was a board there saying please do not litter the place. I am not sure whether a bin was there. Then again I saw a little girl from abroad maybe 4 to 5 years who after having a chocolate was wanting to dispose of the chocolate wrapping but could not find a bin. I was impressed when I saw her putting the wrapper in her pocket knowing she would discard it when she would find a dustbin maybe even at her home. This is all due to the upbringing which sadly most Indians lack as regards caring for the environment. I feel It would be nice if private companies/large hotels sponsor bins having their advertisements on them and in a way help in keeping the environment clean and attractive to tourists. Lastly yes the Government must go all out to provide thrash bins at important locations and make sure to clear them on a regular basis. Deu borem korum. Camilo Fernandes From: Mervyn Lobo <[email protected]> To: "Rajan P. Parrikar" <[email protected]>, "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Goanet] What is wrong with this picture? Rajan P. Parrikar wrote: > Taken this morning (Sunday) at the Chapel of the Mount Mary, Old Goa. > http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/Trash-Mount-Mary.jpg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part of the problem, Rajan, is that more often than not, there is no bin or receptacle to put your trash in. I have been in situations where I need to discard junk from my vehicle and there is no pace to do so. On more than one occasion, the Goan chauffeur has looked at me as if I were insane when instructed to return my unwanted material to the car. I will agree with you though that the Indian tourists are 10 times worse than the Goan as they feel they have the right to junk their trash anywhere. Bottom line, the city council or the tourist board has to provide facilities for trash disposal. Else you will be sending us such pictures for the next 50 years. Mervyn
