Dear Mr. Joshi
Here an overview of all the points that are under your power, that we would like to see to come also under your will-power.
The points related to the elected body will be tackled in due time on a PIL.
1. Collecting points for recycling items:
In addition to the ones handed the 18th to Adyaksha and yourself, for batteries and plastic bottles, there are the following ones that will require GP follow-up for re-routing:
2. The trash left, buried or burned at the beach after the season is finished for which we required your attention, and action, can be spotted as shown by random pictures:
As Khushi Parisara has remarked earlier, in relation to shacks and Santhe Market, business people carry goods for their business, they have to properly dispose the de discarded remainings. Is their duty.
In some time what has not been burnt will go inside the Ocean, from where it will be almost impossible to remove.
The multi-secular practice of visarjana has ingrained the idea that samudra, as some other water bodies, are privileged disposing points.
GP has to show through the compliance with S & P WM rules that it is not the case.
That is why we have requested you, Mr. Joshi to take action on this front.
3. The dumping at Gram Panchayat Belle Hittala place, apparently under your instructions, brought all this mixed waste to trouble the zone and the coconut trees are being “nourished” with this bio-plastic “compost”
giving a terrible example to locals and calling for further waste dumping. The removal of this trash already requested, and closing the entrance to dissuade people from trailing previous dumpings, is a must.
As you know well, this is an extremely fragile zone, deprived of careful attention, where for many years people got used to dump all sort of trash (always following Gram Panchayat example).
At Kottitirtha another load of this waste seems waiting the day to be dumped here
4. Still, to this extremely threatened zone – that became, over the past years, a reiterated dumping zone-, Gram Panchayat is requested to pay particular attention and active care to keep healthy this water body.
With these images, can we teach children in our schools what is a water body at Gokarna?
They may be good to make them understand why it is important to take care of them and the role of Gram Panchayat to “heal” them.
We could add images of other water bodies in similar shape. Along with this:
Also of another drain turned dumping place:
Gram Panchayat is requested to clean these by all means and to notify all households and business places on the neighbouring area of the drain, nala and sangam to immediately stop dumping there.
Again, once monsoon comes, all this waste will go inside the ocean:
The time when waste management was just to move waste from one place to another is over.
Definitely over.
Now there are many clusters on the process that have to be addressed – as you know.
Gram Panchayat has to lead the way being the first to comply with the rules. If GP wants the cooperation from public, Gram Panchayat has to lead the way, showing and teaching people the right thing to do, without exempting itself from doing the right thing, because “everyone is doing the wrong thing”!
The Chart for Offices Good Practices handed to you, could help to make the required changes in the mind-set of concerned stakeholders.
We have added all these images to make clear to all that the situation is extremely hazardous, that even if the elected body is not concerned, nor noticing the threat that is coming from mismanagement of waste, still the danger is there and is imploding day by day.
We add also a list of our main requests to be tackled.
From tomorrow onwards Mrs Geetha Naik will be the new President of Khushi Parisara. She will be delighted to receive this list timelined, kindly provide it asap.
Your cooperation during the last 2 months, on the waste management front, was very appreciated. Would you have been supported by the elected body and the work could have indeed brought Gokarna closer to our target: zero waste.
Let us wish that some changes will come soon towards it.
Kindly accept my best wishes,
ana s.
