MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has finally managed to arrange mud to cover the burning mini-waste dump near the KTC bus stand on Sunday, but the fire incident has thrown up a host of questions over the waste dump at the site and the recurring fires engulfing the waste.
For, the MMC had officially stopped waste dumping in the commercial capital around a decade ago in 2012 when Fomento Green had taken over the waste handling operations at Sonsodo.
With the waste dumping at the sprawling open space near the KTC bus stand coming in handy for the MMC to dump garden and mixed waste, questions are being raised about whether dumping has the approval of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
For, the GSPCB’s consent is mandatory not just to set up a waste dump, but to operate the same to ensure the waste handling is carried out as per the laid down norms and guidelines.
If sources are to be believed, the open space near the KTC bus stand came in handy for the MMC to dispose of the garden waste and the silt lifted from the drains and storm water nullahs.
A visit to the site, however, has revealed that other waste, including plastic, seemed to have found its way to the mini-dump along with garden waste and silt, indicating that mixed waste too is disposed of at the site.
GSPCB officials were not available for comment, but they have a question or two to answer “ whether the GSPCB has given any permission for the MMC to dispose of garden waste and silt at the silt. If the answer is positive, the Pollution Control Board may have to answer another pertinent question, whether the MMC was required to put in place measures, including fire prevention and fire fighting measures and to ensure the groundwater is not polluted by the dumping of the garden and mixed waste at the site.
The GSPCB may have to answer another question whether the Board has at any time taken cognizance of the fire incidents at the mini-dump in the last one year, with thick smoke billowing from the site posing health hazards for the Fatorda residents.
For, the mini-waste dump has been the scene of recurring fire incidents, whether man-made or natural, in recent months, raising questions about whether the GSPCB had at any time issued any notice to the MMC seeking compensation under the Polluter Pays Principle.
A citizen pointed out that the GSPCB ought to have taken cognizance of the recurring fires at the mini-waste dump near the KTC bus stand and initiated action as per the rules in force when open waste burning stands banded across the county as per an order of the National Green Tribunal.
“Or, are the citizens to believe that these rules are meant only for the ordinary citizens and not for the institutional bodies,” he questioned.
How is waste dump not under HC lens?
MARGAO
As the mini-waste dump near the KTC bus stand came under public domain again in view of the fire incident, questions are asked about how the dump did not come under the High Court scanner when the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) submitted an Action plan to handle the Sonsodo waste dumping site?
For, after the Sonsodo waste dump came under the High Court scanner, the MMC had submitted a timeline on how it will go about handling the issues at Sondoso in a timebound manner, with the court accepting the timeline, but with a rider that the MMC will give no more excuses for the delay.
Sources pointed out that if the mini-dump near the KTC bus stand had to come under the high court scanner, the MMC would have been made accountable for handling the dump as per the norms, reducing the risk of fire accidents and pollution.
“It’s apparent that the MMC has come out with an Action plan on Sonsodo only after the day-to-day waste handling came under the High Court lens. The MMC gave a detailed timeline to the court on how it intends to resolve the host of garbage-related issues at Sonsodo. Residents of Fatorda might have also got some relief from the recurring fires if the mini-waste dump near the KTC bus stand had to come under the High Court scanner,” remarked a citizen.
Low water pressure hampers efforts to extinguish blaze
MARGAO
As the raging fire at the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) dump refused to die down, the Margao fire brigade virtually ran out of water due to low water pressure at the fire hydrants.
After the waste dump continued to burn overnight, the MMC finally arranged a couple of truckloads of mud to cover the dump.
However, while a fire brigade tender sprayed around 4,000 litres of water at the dump on Sunday, realisation soon dawned that the fire tenders cannot be refilled due to low water pressure at the fire hydrants. The situation, sources said, could be because of the water leakage on the 1200 dia Selaulim water pipeline reported at Cansaulim on Saturday evening.
While a lone fire tender was filled with capacity and was kept as a standby to meet any fire emergencies, the firemen were literally scouting for well water with pumps to refill the empty tenders.
A fireman told The Goan that they have been trying to refill the tenders from the Carbon factory to keep the tenders on standby in any firefighting operations.
The Margao fire brigade had on Saturday used around 60,000 litres of precious water in the firefighting operation at the MMC mini-waste dump near the KTC bus stand.
