Margao: The village panchayat of Sancordem announced plans to implement a garbage clearance fee for visitors and tourists at popular destinations within its jurisdiction, including the historic Mahadev temple at Tambdisurla, effective April 1.
It aims to address the mounting costs of waste management in tourist areas under the panchayat’s purview.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, deputy sarpanch Shirish Dessai highlighted the significant financial burden of maintaining cleanliness at tourist spots. “We need to deploy vehicles and workers to this location at least four times monthly, whereas in other areas, one trip per month is sufficient for garbage collection. Currently, the panchayat spends nearly Rs 6 lakh monthly on waste management, with about half allocated to this area only,” Dessai said.
The panchayat believes that this move will attract more tourists and boost the local economy.