Pilerne villagers blame tenants for garbage menace

PILERNE: The issue of littering of roadsides with garbage allegedly by occupants of rented rooms dominated the Pilerne-Marra gram sabha which was held on Sunday at the village panchayat hall at Pilerne.

Villagers also questioned the panchayat whether it has any record of the number of migrant labourers staying in rented rooms in places like Moicawaddo as they put a lot of burden on the infrastructure.

Villagers blamed the tenants for the garbage menace claiming that they dump garbage on the roadsides. Villagers said that the village panchayat should issue notices to the owners of rooms rented out to labourers.

Villagers also called upon the panchayat to provide two bins to owners of rooms rented out so that the labourers can dispose garbage in them rather than on the roadsides.

Sarpanch of Pilerne-Marra Amarnath Govekar told the gram sabha that last year the village panchayat along with the Porvorim police had conducted a survey of all the migrants staying in rented rooms and verification form were filled. But some owners misled the team by locking the rooms and told the police that nobody is staying on rent.

Govekar said, “Some villagers have taken permission from the panchayat to extend houses on the grounds that they are meant for their family members and later rent out the rooms. The occupants do not pay garbage tax and also dispose garbage on the roadsides.”

He further said, “We cannot place garbage bins on the roadsides as people from neighboring villages will throw garbage in them.”

The sarpanch suggested that the village panchayat write to the Porvorim police seeking information about tenant verification and the number of rooms that are rented out in its jurisdiction so that the panchayat can issue notices to the owners to pay garbage tax and buy two garbage bins for the tenants.

Villagers also raised the issue of stray dog menace in the village and requested the panchayat to do something in this regard. The sarpanch informed the gram sabha that the government is giving grants and the panchayat is planning to construct a shed at one corner of the football ground to impound the stray dogs.

The other issue raised at the gram sabha by the villagers was that some of the factories releasing sewage water into the gutters which flow down the slope into the fields making plowing difficult.

The sarpanch informed the gram sabha that complaints have being received by the panchayat in this regard and as such a letter was made to the Goa State Pollution Control Board and health officials to have a joint inspection and take action on the illegal practice of release of sewage water into the open drains.

Villagers also asked the village panchayat to fill potholes along the Pilerne industrial estate road which is in very bad shape and makes it difficult especially for two wheelers to ride during the night.

Villagers also made suggestions for putting up pavers at Mainawaddo from Clara House to Kamat House. The villagers also made suggestions to cut down trees posing danger to life and property.