the goan I network
OLD GOA
Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo and St Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes visited the Chimbel panchayat on Thursday and assured help to tackle the waste problem in the village.
The visit comes in the wake of the high court directives to the Chimbel panchayat to take steps to tackle the garbage problem faced by the village.
Speaking to the media, Lobo stated that the Chimbel panchayat got up to March 23 to comply with the high court directives.
“There’s a material recovery facility (MRF) where dry waste is piled as the same has not been taken to GWMC site. There’s a delay because they do not have a baling machine,” Lobo informed.
“The Chimbel panchayat has placed an order for a baling machine with GWMC which, in turn, has placed an order for the same. They are in the process of purchasing a baling machine which has still not come as the file is stuck with Director of Panchayats (DoP), from where it will go to the secretary (panchayats), then to the minister and back to DoP, and then an order will be issued. But that will take time,” Lobo stated.
The minister informed that a temporary baling machine will be provided to the panchayat till it gets its own baling machine.
“Till then, we are helping the panchayat by lifting its dry waste to GWMC facilities. From there, we will bale it to cement factories. Right now, there is a huge quantity which will be taken to GWMC sheds from tomorrow. High court has come strongly against the panchayat and they have to be serious, and our department is there to help,” he added while stating that GWMC has the capacity lift the entire dry waste in Chimbel.
Chimbel Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar, Deputy Sarpanch Manisha Chopdekar, panchas, Garbage Management Committee members, Anil Hoble, Hemant Golatkar, St Cruz BJP block president Pramod Kamat and others were present on the occasion.
