Goa: Panaji commissioner, mayor spar over bulk waste notices

The mayor of Panaji Tuesday hit out at its civic commissioner for issuing notices to bulk waste generators to set up garbage processing plants in their premises within fifteen days.

CCP Commissioner Shashank Mani Tripathy's notice, issued to 44 such bulk waste generators, warns that if they do not set processing units for composting or bio-methanisation in 15 days, the civic body will not collect any further bio- degradable waste generated by them.

Addressing a press conference here, Corporation of City of Panaji Mayor Uday Madkaikar accused the commissioner of harassing citizens under the garb of implementing three- year-old guidelines of Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

He also accused Tripathy of implementing the diktat without taking the CCP's council into confidence.

"When we collect tax from people on garbage, then it is our responsibility to accept and treat the waste generated by them. We can't shirk our responsibility by pointing out to some old rules," Madkaikar said.

He added that the move had caused panic among tax- payers.

Tripathy's circular quotes the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's April 8, 2016 notification which states that "all bulk waste generators are mandated to treat and process bio-degradable waste within their own premises".

Madkaikar also assured the people of Panaji that the CCP would set up such units for them at its own cost.

The CCP covers Panaji and peripheral villages like Ribandar and Taleigao.