It is very improper and preposterous to blame Sidhivinayak Naik and make him the scapegoat in the Sonsoddo Garbage dump imbroglio. The infamous Sonsoddo fiasco has been raging for decades while Sidhivinayak Naik was the Chief Officer at the Margao Municipal Council(MMC) only from July last year. At the MMC we have seen a merry-go-round of Chief Officers come and go while they have been struggling in adhering to diverse political directions. For Bureaucrats to be able to function efficiently, they must be free from political coercion and allowed to discharge their duties strictly in accordance with law. Frequent politically manipulated transfer of officers is a sign of awful bad governance.
Over the years successive governments have squandered crores on so called waste management but the garbage crisis has only gone from bad to worse across the State with thrash strewn all along our cities and villages with even the beaches inundated with garbage all over. Nothing more needs to be said on the awfully filthy state of our bus stands and markets.
On 2nd October 2014 the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched amidst much fanfare. High expectations were raised but that cleanliness drive has however remained a mere paper tiger with the campaign miserably faltering while over the last five years crores have been poured down the drain. The drive to ensure cleanliness and sanitation has to be a people’s movement and not a political one.
In view of the chaotic state of affairs, there is need to impose a total embargo for at least ten years on any further construction activity until we have the basic amenities of water, power supply, sewerage, good roads and more importantly a robust garbage disposal system in place. This may bring some sanity to our now devastated and concretized Goa. This eyesore adversely impacts our environment, health and the economy as tourists and potential businesses are repulsed by the sight of waste scattered all over the state.
