Waste piles up on river’s bank, outcry in Bicholim

Bicholim: The rising instances of waste dumping in public spaces and on the bank of the Bicholim river have made people take up the issue with the Bicholim Municipal Council (BMC). Residents want BMC to act urgently on the issue.

The BMC is one of the first councils in Goa to set up a waste treatment facility with a steady door-to-door collection system in place.

“Littering of open spaces by unidentified people is undoing efforts of the council in maintaining cleanliness,” said Gopal Chodankar, a local.

Chodankar said the river is getting polluted due to garbage dumping. The pile of waste in the water body has started affecting its flow and can also cause flooding during heavy rains.

BMC chairperson Kundan Falari said people from outside the town dispose of waste and disappear. “We had cleaned some spots but people keep throwing waste there,” Falari said.

He also added that anyone found throwing waste will be penalised. The problem will be taken care of once the CCTV cameras have been installed, he said.