Goa Moves Closer to Zero Landfill With 16-Way Waste Segregation Drive
Panaji’s waste problem is steadily turning into a model of civic efficiency. With its 16-way segregation system, the city is demonstrating how structured waste management, public participation, and dedicated labour can together reduce landfill use. The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is now edging closer to its goal of becoming a zero landfill city by recovering more from discarded resources.
Panaji generates about 21 tonnes of waste daily, out of which nearly 14 tonnes is wet waste. This is routed to the Saligao treatment plant, while the remaining dry waste undergoes 16-way segregation. This system, which began in 2021, is now being further broken down into 28 categories to maximise recovery. The city’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) near St Inez is where the main sorting and recycling work happens.
The model depends on segregation at source. Residents and businesses are encouraged to separate waste into dry and wet categories before collection. Workers then manually sort the dry waste into multiple types, including plastics, cloth, glass, metals, and e-waste. Officials say this system improves recycling rates and reduces what ends up in landfills. Daily cooperation from citizens and doorstep collection have proven vital to this initiative’s success.
The Material Recovery Facility, or Swachhta Kendra, has emerged as the hub of this waste programme. First established in 2014 as part of a UNDP project, the facility operates 24×7 with Safai Sathis manually segregating trash on conveyor belts. Another team is tasked with sweeping public spaces and picking up waste from across Panaji, while a separate team ensures daily collection from homes and commercial areas.
Though Panaji has become a cleaner city through this model, expanding the initiative to fast-urbanising zones around Taleigao, Chimbel, Merces and St Cruz remains a challenge. Authorities are now looking at how to scale the MRF’s capacity and extend source-level segregation to new neighbourhoods. Sustaining the programme’s success will depend on continuous investment, decentralised waste collection, and greater awareness among both residents and business stakeholders.
Panaji’s progress in waste segregation offers a replicable model for other cities aiming to reduce landfill dependency. With its 16-way, soon-to-be-28-way segregation system, the capital is turning waste into a resource. As urban sprawl continues, the civic body’s focus must now shift to scale, ensuring that sustainable waste solutions keep pace with growth and safeguard Panaji’s environmental and public health goals.
