Mindless opposition

In the case of garbage treatment plant under construction at Saligao, if the technology is not suitable, then activists must submit a study conducted by a recognized institute to convince otherwise.

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For 20 years, garbage was indiscriminately dumped at a site that straddles parts of Saligao and Calangute villages. The presence of garbage has been more than an eyesore. It has leached into nearby wells and contaminated the Salmona spring. The presence of volatile organic carbons near the existing site points to uncontrolled petrifaction of mixed solid waste, states a report. The Salmona spring is contaminated with coliform bacteria when compared with other surface and ground water samples. This is the present state of the site and the report notes the negative impact on the surroundings. A change in status quo should have been welcomed because the presence of a garbage treatment plant would eventually result in a cleaner environment.

But, as always, there is opposition from activists who believe that the present site is not the best one and that another one 700 meters away would be more suited for construction of a treatment plant. None of them are as positive as the government or National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur which conducted the study. Doubts have also been raised about the technology, even though the same has been passed by scientists who scrutinized it. Questions have also been raised about the manner in which the tender was granted and the cost, even though no legal challenge has been mounted against it.

There will always be questions. Activists always ask questions. Sometimes it is important to ask questions in order to bring more clarity to a project or process. And the government must be prepared to answer these questions. Although activists have been in the forefront of confronting the government on several issues and projects, their action also needs to be brought under scrutiny. If the underlying strategy of activists is to protect the environment and ensure that the most suitable technology is utilized, then they deserve our support. But if all they seek is to block the project at all costs, they need to be put on the mat.

In the case of the plant under construction, if the technology is not suitable, then activists must submit a study conducted by a recognized institute to convince otherwise. If they believe that the site is not suitable they must explain why NEERI is wrong. The present situation of garbage being dumped on the Saligao plateau and the resultant contamination of ground water, wells and springs has to stop. Status quo is not acceptable. The government, under directions of the high court, has moved towards construction of a plant. The process has taken nearly four years and any delay will only exacerbate the situation.

Some years back the state invested Rs 60 crore in an effort to build a skybus. The technology was being developed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Unfortunately, things went horribly wrong and the experiment came to a grinding halt. Goa lost its investment and the experimental track, which was a reminder of that failure, was recently dismantled. But this is how technology progresses, through experiment. Of course the plant at Saligao is more than just an experiment. The technology is proven and activists must be brave enough to say, ‘Yes, we can’. Why? Because not doing anything is not an option.