MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council finds itself in a tight spot over its plans to transport Sonsodo waste to the Saligao treatment plant for disposal.
Following opposing brewing in Saligao and fears that the move may lead to agitation in neighbouring villages, including Calangute, over plans to send waste to the Saligao plant, the Margao municipality has decided to tread a cautious path, least any attempt to bulldoze with the plan may boomerang on the civic body.
Officials told The Goan that while all preparations are being put in place to transport the waste to the Saligao plant from Sonsodo through municipality vehicles, opposition by the Saligao sarpanch Lucas Remedios has forced the civic body to adopt a wait-and-watch attitude.
“We are on the job to put the mechanism in place to transport the Sonsodo waste to Saligao. We have shortlisted two garbage compactors for the job, which will take the waste to Saligao”, the official said.
He, however, hastened to add that the civic body will not execute the plan in haste given the opposition by the Saligao panchayat.
Municipal babus are worried that apart from the stoppage of the Margao Municipal garbage-laden vehicles entering the Saligao plant, people along the way may even come on the roads and stop the vehicles from heading to the waste treatment plant.
Sources in the know pointed out that the matter was discussed by Congress-turned-BJP MLA Digambar Kamat with municipal officials on Wednesday, even as the MLA sought to find out how the plan to transport the Sonsodo waste to Saligao got leaked out to the media.
The MLA is believed to have suggested to the municipal officials to exercise caution and wait for things to settle down.
“We are presently monitoring the situation. Let the dust kicked up by the objection raised by the Saligao plant settle. Then we can think of taking a call,” remarked a civic official, adding that the MMC is in no mood to precipitate matters on the issue.
