MARGAO
Why should Curtorkars bear the brunt of environmental pollution whenever the Sonsodo waste dump, belonging to the Margao Municipal Council is engulfed by fire?
This question was raised by Curtorim Deputy Sarpanch Simon Barretto and ex-Curtorim Zilla Panchayat member, Moreno Rebello as a thick black layer of smoke enveloped parts of Maina in Curtorim since Friday noon. They demanded to know whether the Margao Municipal Council has not learnt any lesson from the May 25, 2019 fire incident when the Goa State Pollution Control Board had slapped a fine of Rs one crore on the Margao Municipal Council.
The smoke billowing from the dump reached Maina side due to the strong winds blowing towards the east around noon.
Both Simon and Moreno, who descended at the Sonsodo dump soon after the site was engulfed in fire, demanded an end to the pathetic state of affairs at MMC site. “Sonsodo falls in the Margao Municipal jurisdiction, but every time the dump is on fire, the smoke travels to Raia and Curtorim, posing health hazard to the residents of these villages. This has to stop forthwith,” Moreno said, saying he would accord top priority to resolving Sonsodo if he wins the Assembly election.
TMC MLA Churchill Alemao also reached Sonsodo around noon, as the billowing smoke could be seen from a distance. “I had gone to Curtorim to pay a condolence visit. Since Sonsodo was engulfed by fire, I visited the site to take stock of the situation,” he said, while saying he would take up the matter with the new government that assumes office after March 10.
