the goan I network
MARGAO
Sounding a strong warning to housing societies and hotels post-Sonsodo fire incident, Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai on Monday mulled disconnection of power and water connections if housing societies and hotels do not hand over segregated waste or let their sewage waters in the drains.
After an interaction with Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik, Babita said she has sought advice from the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) on how to go about covering the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin after the fire incident and with monsoons finally due to set in this week.
“I would like to issue a final warning to the hotels which have defaulted in connecting their establishments to the underground sewerage network and which have failed to hand over segregated waste. The same warning goes to the housing societies. We will be left with no option but to go for disconnection of their water and power supplies,” Babita warned.
The MMC Chairperson also said the civic body has set in motion the process to outsource collection of waste door to door. “Waste from Margao households will be collected by a contractor,” she added.
Conceding that problems relating to waste segregation have come to stare at the civic body, the MMC Chairperson said the topography of Sonsodo is such that the civic body cannot touch the dry waste and hence the Solid Waste Management Corporation has been told to send the baling machines on top priority. “We had requested the Corporation to take the segregated waste to Verna, but they have replied back saying the space is full for the moment,” she added.
She informed the civic body has sought the DMA’s advice on how to go about the covering the dump during the rains. However, the chairperson raised fears that the fire might just recur given the methane gas underneath the dump.
Saying that the civic body will set up a mini-composting plant at the Gandhi market, she exuded confidence that the two-tonne unit will reduce the garbage going to Sonsodo from the market.
The MMC Chairperson made a fervent plea to the people not to mixed broken glasses and needle with the waste, reminding that the waste handlers are also human beings and they are exposed to unnecessary dangers everyday.
In a bid to take the issue of solid waste management to its logical conclusion, the MMC chief has also sought the help and assistance of environmentalist Clinton Vaz.
She has also sought cooperation of all stakeholders, including city-based NGOs, to help the civic body tide over the burning issue.
