the goan I network
MARGAO
With the Black Hole Technology down and out even before it could take off, one question doing the rounds in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council is simple “ what’s next on the agenda of the Goa Forward party-backed ruling Margao Municipal Council and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai to address the Sonsodo imbroglio in particular and the city’s waste problem in general.
It will be two months since the Margao civic body had shot down the controversial Black Hole Technology after showing initial interest in the project, but nothing has been heard in the corridors of the civic body over any alternate plan in place to tackle the burning waste problem. The TCP Minister and Fatorda MLA too is silent on the question of addressing the burning issue, more than a year after he accorded topmost priority to Sonsodo issue after the formation of the Manohar Parrrikar-led coalition government.
Take note, that the TCP Minister had got the Chief Minister initiate the bio-mining project at Sonsodo, but it’s a year now since the government has withdrawn from Sonsodo on grounds that the very objective of bio-remediating the dump yard stands defeated with unsorted waste continuing to find its way at the site.
That’s not all. Margao Municipal Council’s grandiose plans to outsource door-to-door waste collection has failed to take off till date. It’s now over a month or two since the tender floated by the civic body to outsource waste collection door-to-door stands scraped over the delay in complying with the procedure. In the absence of door-to-door waste collection, unsegregated waste finds its way to the waste treatment plant at Sonsodo, only aggravating the situation at the waste dumping site.
Moreover, after facing a lot of flak on the question of engaging Bapu Environment Engineers Pvt Ltd for waste collection, the MMC has terminated the contract with the agency. While nothing has been heard in the corridors of the civic body on the question of outsourcing door-to-door waste collection, the civic body is believed to have gone for piece meal attempt on collecting waste door-to-door by inviting quotations from eligible contractors for supply of labourers.
If officials in the know are to be believed, the High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parikar constituted to resolve the Sonsodo mess has not had any sittings in recent times. Besides Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, other members of the HPCC includes Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and MLAs, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, besides MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai and officials. And, neither has the sub-committee on Sonsodo has met in recent months.
The Margao Municipal Council headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai will complete three years in office in two months time. In fact, the Sonsodo imbroglio was atop the agenda of various groups contesting the civic polls three years ago, including Vijai Sardesai-backed Fatorda Forward panel that had swept the elections, but the ground reality, however, remains unchanged at Sonsodo.
