Margao council resumes waste dumping surveillance

Margao: To tackle the growing menace of unauthorised garbage disposal at black spots, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) resumed its surveillance drive targeting culprits who illegally dump waste at various such locations, especially at night.

MMC’s latest initiative focuses on eliminating black spots where garbage accumulates, particularly along busy roadsides and in residential areas where waste is often abandoned under the cover of darkness.

The MMC teams apprehended several violators over the last few days, with penalties imposed on those caught in the act of illegal dumping. MMC sources said that many of those apprehended are linked to private waste collection services that cater to hospitality establishments in surrounding villages.

The MMC has now adopted a strict policy of making violators personally clean up their mess, in addition to imposing monetary penalties, as a deterrent measure. “The escalation in illegal dumping forced us to take strict action against those who disregard proper waste management protocols,” said municipal engineer Dipak Faldessai.

“The motive of the drive,” MMC chairperson Damodar Shirodkar said, “is not to generate revenue but to create awareness that open waste dumping is unacceptable and will lead to penalties”.

The MMC urged residents facing issues concerning waste disposal to contact the civic body rather than resorting to illegal dumping. MMC sources disclosed plans to install CCTV cameras at locations identified as black spots. The municipality identified 25 strategic locations where garbage is being dumped surreptitiously. The MMC recently issued a notice inviting bids for the supply and installation of solar 4G CCTV cameras for the purpose.