Aafrin Kidwai 
The Goa Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has extended its deadline for receiving suggestions and objections to the draft model Goa Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) By-laws, 2020.
On April 28, the DMA had issued a public notice seeking objections and suggestions to the by-laws and gave time till May 12 for receiving inputs. Owing to the lockdown, people can now give their feedback till May 26.
The Navhind Times reports that as per the new draft by-laws, segregated bio-degradable waste, construction and demolition waste and household hazardous waste shall be stored separately within the premises and delivered to the collection vehicle. It also made compulsory for urban local bodies to keep separate vehicles to carry dry and wet waste with a proper leachate collection tank installed in the vehicles.
The local authority shall also extend Solid Waste Management Services to the slum areas and provide cleanliness services. The draft by-laws have also fixed rates for door-to-door collection of waste from individual households, educational institutions, health care facilities and commercial units.
It has stipulated spot fines and penalties for non-compliance of by-laws which include non-segregation of waste at source, not maintaining clean surroundings, littering on roads and streets, non-composting by bulk generators, for not delivering construction and demolition waste in a segregated manner as specified.
