MARGAO
Expressing their serious apprehensions and misgivings over plans to set up the 150TPD bio-methanation plant and 150TPD MRF plant in the proposed integrated waste management plant at Verna Industrial Estate, concerned citizens of Nuvem constituency on Saturday called on Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao with a plea to raise the issue in the ensuing session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
A memorandum submitted to the Opposition Leader stated that the contentious project, detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the ecology of the villages and their people should be foisted in their midst in the light of the responsible statutory bodies consistent track record of inability/unwillingness to abide by the laws and due processes.
The citizens pointed out that that the Project proponents have brazenly submitted a cut and paste project report giving totally false, misleading and inaccurate information. “For instance, besides many other misleading facts, the distance between the Mahalsa Temple has been recorded as 10.7 kms, whereas the actual distance in reality is less than 3 kms from the site. There is also a chapel standing less than 150 metres from the site of the proposed plant’, they said, while demanding to know whether the Government of Goa believe that venerated religious structures deserve to co-exist cheek by jowl to a garbage plant?
The memorandum drew attention of the Opposition leader that the NGT has clearly stated that garbage generated must be treated at source. “The manner in which the state government has been changing zones in the Regional Plan, is a distressing indication of its determination to keep nurturing huge mega projects, that will cater to crony capitalists and vested interests. This is being undertaken without any vision or idea whatsoever of how they will provide power, water and garbage management to these major generators of consumption. The heavy cost of this mindless development is having to be borne by ordinary citizens,” the memorandum added.
