Cycling towards awareness about waste segregation

Panaji: Segregation at source is an inevitable requirement for successful garbage management. However, all contributors in the state— citizens, households and business establishments—are still far from understanding its importance. Now, 10 cyclists are preparing to ride across Goa to spread this important message. Sanjit Rodrigues, managing director of the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) will flag off the cycle rally from the Mineral Foundation of Goa (MFG) office, near the old secretariat, on October 25, at 7am.

The five-day, 360km long rally through all 12 talukas will cover 63 panchayats, four municipal councils and a corporation, to sensitize stakeholders - panchayat bodies, communities and others along the route, on the importance of segregation.

"Segregation at source is a basic requirement for waste management. No treatment plant can function effectively without people handing over segregated waste. Also, important steps such as recycling or reuse can be possible only if the waste is segregated," MFG, programme manager, Parag Rangnekar said.

MFG is organizing the rally for the second time, after the first one in 2015, this time in association with GWMC, styled as 'Cycle to recycle: Waste management cycle rally', from October 25 to 29.

The rally will also help to find out whether panchayat bodies have their respective garbage management committees in place. "If these bodies have not set up the committees, the cyclists will create awareness about this too," Rangnekar said.

Goa has set up a state-of-the-art garbage treatment plant at Saligao for coastal and other panchayats and GWMC plans to build another plant at Curchorem shortly. But a bulk of the waste received at the plant is mixed waste, which creates a burden on the infrastructure and raises operational costs.

MFG started a pilot project on a small scale in Virdi village on dor-to-door collection of segregate waste. It now provides technical support and creates awareness in 16 panchayats in the mining belt.