Panaji, April 12 (IANS) Highway patrols will soon be introduced to keep an eye on those who dump garbage along roads in Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Friday."The highway patrolling will be started soon. They will be keeping check on garbage dumping along Goa's roads," Parrikar told the assembly.
"Tourists keep complaining about garbage on Goa's beaches. We have to arrest this garbage problem immediately. It is spoiling the state's image as a top tourism destination," BJP legislator from Calangute Michael Lobo said during a discussion on garbage management in the state.
Calangute town has several popular beaches like Calangute, Baga, Sinquerim and Candolim, which attract thousands of tourists annually.
"The highway patrol will take care of the problem as far as dumping of garbage along highways is concerned. I get irritated when I see garbage," Parrikar said adding that people could phone the highway patrol to lodge complaints regarding dumping of waste along roads.
The state has been grappling with the issue of waste management for over a decade now as the government has been unable to identify a single site to dispose garbage or a waste processing technology.
Despite the state government holding a drive to pick up garbage from the roadside on highways, it is still not uncommon to find piles of garbage strewn along the roads as well as near urban hubs in this beach tourism destination, visited by 2.6 million tourists annually.