PANAJI: The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), which will ensure effective monitoring and management of waste treatment facilities that are in place and those that are taking shape in the state, has started functioning since last week.
The corporation, which held its first board meeting on November 29, has decided to move a cabinet note to dissolve the high-level task force and monitoring-cum-working committee set up for solid waste management and to confer its powers, roles and responsibilities to the corporation.
The board also approved the proposal to request the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for temporary office space with necessary infrastructure as well as seeking Goa State Pollution Control Board premises on a rent for permanent institutional infrastructure.
It further decided to place all six employees of solid waste management cell, set up by department of science and technology, to work in the GWMC on working arrangement basis for a period of two years and also approved the proposed recruitment plan for creating 12 posts. The corporation consists of 14 members headed by the Chief Minister, with minister for science and technology as vice chairperson, and other members will be secretary (science and technologies), director of environment, science and technology, panchayat, municipal administration, in addition to that two experts from the field of engineering and science A A Parulekar and Dr Atul Vaidya and two members from local bodies. The post of managing director will be held by Levinson Martin who will also be the chief executive officer and ex officio secretary of the corporation.
Presently, different categories of waste are handled by different agencies but now the corporation will undertake effective management of waste from its treatment, storage and disposal to proper utilisation.
Waste management in state is in a pathetic condition. Interestingly, the practices banned under the various rules Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016, the Bio-Medical Waste Rules, 2016, and e-waste (management) rules 2016 are being followed in the state even though it attracts huge footfall of tourists from across the country and
abroad.
The Goa Waste Management Corporation Act, 2016 (GWMC) had come into force on October 2. Under the Act, the corporation will also act as a licensing authority relating to the procurement or distribution of any commodity in respect of the facilities for waste management. The Act also overrides the powers of government to issue directions to local authorities to grant consent for setting up of waste management facilities upon satisfying with the proposal after giving local bodies the reasonable opportunity to show cause on their
objection.