Garbage issue dominates Mandrem VP meeting

MANDREM: The problem of dumping garbage by hoteliers and shack owners along the Mandrem road, lack of accessible road to Junas beach and a few development works dominated the Mandrem gram sabha, held on Sunday.
The villagers voiced their grievances against garbage dumping near the main road at Mandrem pointing out that the panchayat has failed to collect the garbage.With no proper garbage site, the waste, which is found everywhere, poses a serious health hazard they said.
However, sarpanch Raksha Kalshavkar informed villagers that the panchayat has been struggling to identify land for garbage disposal as required by the Rural Garbage Disposal Scheme 2006 and therefore the shack owners should manage their own waste. The sarpanch also said that the panchayat will take the initiative to put up dust bins on the beach and main corners of Mandrem. The shack owners and hoteliers, however, disagreed, ''With no proper garbage site, we have no option then to dump the waste at a convenient place,'' said a shack owner from Junas waddo-Mandrem.
One of the villagers Shivkumar Arolkar brought to the notice of the panchayat that local fish vendors sit along the road as the fish market is congested affecting traffic. Supported by all villagers, panchayat resolved to charge penalty of Rs100 for those fish vendors who use the road side instead of sitting in the fish market.
The gram sabha was chaired by sarpanch Raksha Kalshavkar. Earlier, the secretary read out the report of previous meetings and proposed the vote of thanks.