CANACONA
Taking cognisance of reports in The Goan, the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) on Thursday began measures to stop the flow of leachate from its Garbage Treatment Plant (GTP) at Dumane into neighbouring water bodies and paddy fields.
As part of these measures, a few more garbage dumps which had been uncovered and exposed to rains at the GTP were covered with tarpaulin, as workers were engaged to bring together and cover the garbage which had been lying over the GTP.
When contacted, CMC Chairperson Simon Rebello said work had been initiated to minimise the flow of waste out of the GTP compound.
“A lot of garbage which got carried away within the GTP due to heavy rains has now been secured and covered with tarpaulin, to avoid further flow of leachate from the premises,” said Rebello.
“We have already planned to construct a drainage so that water entering into the GTP is diverted from around the compound.”
“By covering the garbage heaps, the flow of leachate from the GTP will be minimised. Our workers will try to recover and secure garbage which flowed outside the compound due to rain and floods,” he added.
Incidentally, a source in the CMC said there had been a delay in the upgradation of GTP Dumane.
“The exposed garbage dumps are actually processed waste, which the contractor failed to remove,” said the source.
“The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) had appointed a contractor, who began treatment of garbage and had even worked for 10 days. The contractor, however, abandoned the work due to rains. The uncovered waste was segregated/processed, but it could not be removed during to continuous rains in the taluka,” said the source.
The source admitted that leachate may continue to flow till the GTP is upgraded and the drains are completed as proposed in the upgradation.
The Goan had highlighted the issue of leachate flowing from the GTP into nearby water bodies and paddy fields, sparking off angry reactions from the Agonda panchayat and other NGOs in Canacona
While Agonda Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar threatened to launch an agitation against CMC if action was not taken to stop the flow of leachate into the Agonda river, the NGO Goenkar threatened to take legal action against the CMC before the NGT. Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes also instructed the CMC chief officer to take immediate measures to stop the leachate.
