Home Sustainability GOA SPCB Workshop Aims a Policy Direction to Formalise the Informal Scrap Market

GOA SPCB Workshop Aims a Policy Direction to Formalise the Informal Scrap Market

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GOA SPCB Workshop Aims a Policy Direction to Formalise the Informal Scrap Market
GOA SPCB Workshop Aims a Policy Direction to Formalise the Informal Scrap Market

To achieve 100% Collection efficiency and give a dignified living to the scrap workers, GOA SPCB’s workshop in collaboration with Godrej Consumer, Sampurn(e)arth, Mineral Foundation of Goa, and GWMC reiterated mars scale education, multi-stakeholder engagement, a comprehensive waste collection network is key for this.

Sampurn(E)arth Environment Solutions and Goa mineral Foundation, together with Goa State Pollution Control Board and Godrej CSR, have come together to discuss the crucial matter of formalising generations of scrap dealers, recyclers and aggregators into the new solutions for waste management in the state. The informal sector currently undertakes more than 92% of the waste management solutions on the ground including the 25000+ tonnes of plastic generated daily.

While welcoming guests and giving the background, Shri Mahesh K Patil, Chairman, Goa State Pollution Control Board said that scrap workers are key in the ecosystem. Goa is keen to take this initiative of mainstreaming them.

Speaking on the matter, Debartha Banerjee, Director, Sampurn Earth Environment Solutions said, “ This conference is for policy makers and formal sector to get insights into the challenges faced by our existing inter-generational informal waste management work force. We hope to address issues with licensing, safety and health, financing and formal work benefits of current waste workers. At the grass root level, a few understand the waste problems and feasibility within the waste supply chain better than the people of the existing informal sector.”

The risks are multifold. Current state policies and strategies fall short as they do not address the primary role played by this large segment of people working on solutions generations longer than the initiation of new policies and work in the formal sector. Being a high income and revenue generation segment with high social economic and cultural disparity, the informal sector takes unbelievable health risks in carrying out this public service sector work, thereby reducing health and safety issues and environmental risks to our society at large.

Parag Rangnekar, IEC, Mineral Foundation of Goa, said, “ There is need for Inter-Governmental co-operation for real solutions come into being in Goa. Processes and procedures are yet coming into play between Urban Local Bodies, Panchayats, Bulk Waste Generators and solution and services providers. We require technology innovation to work alongside these crucial stakeholders in the waste supply chain. Their vital services are being recognised while we dig deeper to understand the nuanced realities of implementing sustainable solutions on the ground.”

Policy makers have a tremendous task ahead of them to bring back this segment with dignity of labour.

Humanising of this sector which has been subject to much societal discrimination undermining the crucial part they play in bring about a cleaner and healthier Goan eco system is important as we go forward. Executive Producer Responsibility needs to grow further and also bring focus into education and capacity building for this sector and we are looking into this at the conference as well.}

This is the second conference on Waste Management problems and solutions brought together by Sampurn(E)arth, Goa Mineral Foundation, Goa State Pollution Control Board and Godrej CSR.