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Not many would like to visit a garbage site. But this
writer took this trip on 29.3.2003 at 12.35 p.m. to
study at first hand the ground realities at such a
site.
The garbage dump atop the Curca plateau, is spread
over an area of 14,000 to 16,000 sq mts. The site is
almost filled to the brim and according the personnel
at the site will not last beyond 6 months.
The authorities viz the Panaji Municipal Council will
have to scout for another place. It is a shocking
discovery that the acquifers of several springs and
watershed area of Curca Bambolim Merces have
discovered the presence of coliform organism as
confirmed from reports made available by the Village
Panchayats from the Goa Pollution Board.
At the entry we were greeted by a charming personality
Mr Shaikh Imtiaz Ahmed a young man who seems to take
the job in his stride and works bare hands on the
garbage. He is since the last two years working on
an yearly contract. He is paid about Rs 150 per day
or (Rs.4500 per month). He holds a diploma from an
institute in Pune. He is in charge of the
vermicomposting of the raw biodegradable waste.
At a corner of the site an area admeasuring 100 sq
mts, biodegradable waste collected from the hotels and
market area in Panaji Municipality is segregated from
the non biodegradable waste. They are then put into
troughs and covered for processing the methane gas
emanting does the job. Later treated to costly
earthworms(red) and after about eight weeks the
compost prepared is handed over to the PMC for use in
their gardens. There is no commercial sale thus far.
There are daily wage workers male and female and mind
you all " Khorem Goemkars " blue blooded Goans working
bare hands. When asked why they were not wearing
gloves or masks to safeguard from organic gases,
putreifying gases, they confessed that they prefered
to work without them as they felt suffocated with the
apparatus given that they work in the sweltering head
all day long. They also claimed that if one does the
work without disgust our body system adapts easily.
They come from the neighbouring village. They eat
their meals in the make shift tin sheds. They complain
that during the monsoons the situation is far worse.
Lack of sunlight and rain water result in stagnation
of filth and non decomposition of biodegradable waste.
Vermicomposting is difficult and there are no plans
underway for upgrading the present set=up
As we talk there are about four trucks that move in
and out unloading the garbage collected from Panaji
and Mapusa as well. There is no medical facilities
provided to these workmen and they are not permanent.
No job security no statutory fringe benefits for later
years.
At the far end of the site a bunch of ragpickers yet
another important category of specialised workers who
help rid the city of the nusiance created by the
civilised industrial world, sort out the material from
the general garbage to be sold to the scrap vendors
and theirs too is work for a pittance. They are
non-goans and all below 14 years. Child labour but
who cares they are "street urchins only "
How can the PMC engage such labour on daily wages and
that too on contract? Is this not a predominant job?
What is the use of maintaining a huge Directorate of
Health services with permanent staff sitting in office
as pen pushers. Do not these workers deserve better
working conditions. Is it not because of these
dedicated Goans who help in processing the over 20
tons of garbage generated by the Municipality that the
Directorate of Health staff merely collect hefty pay
packets? Why does the Government of Goa not set up a
Directorate of Sanitation and Garbage disposal to
manage the large amounts of garbage in the Villages
and Municipalities now that they have assumed alarming
proportions and need to be scientifically processed.
It is hoped that the current Budget session will
highlight this issue and give a thought for better
working conditions to these workers. Atleast the
workers should be provided health safeguards and
better security as they advance age.
The Panaji Municipal Council and Peoples Movement for
Civic Action have been doing yeomen service in
beautifying the Panaji Municipal limits they even have
a website. It would be advisable to include the Curca
Garbage site on the website to sensitise the
population to be more responsible when it comes to
disposing the garbage. It is hoped that the dynamic
Chief Officer, Sanjith Rodrigues from Aldona, ex
Mumbaite who performed exceedingly well in South Goa
District as a SDO Dy Collector will see merit in the
above and do the needful before the monsoons.
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