MARGAO
Demanding that the Margao Municipal Council should not act in haste on the Black Hole technology at Sonsodo, the Congress party on Tuesday said that technical bodies such as the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and the Department of Science and Technology should be left to take a final call on the efficacy of the technology.
The Congress said that enough research and development has been carried out at Sonsodo over the years, but there’s still no solution to the dump yard till date.
Flanked by Fatorda Block Congress President Piedade Norohna, Parag Raikar and Santosh Bishnoi, Congress spokesman Sidhanath Buyao said the power-point presentation held by the proponents of Black Hole technology have only raised a host of unanswered questions, saying the MMC should not go ahead with the technology till all queries are answered by the GSPCB and Science & Technology department. “Initially, the company maintained that the Black Hole technology will treat all the existing waste dumped at Sonsodo. But, now, the company insists that the waste needs to be segregated first before being treated by the technology,” Buyao said, adding “since this has given rise to suspicions, the MMC should not act in haste but go by the guidance and advise of expert agencies.”
He also demanded to know about the fate of the High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) panel on Sonsodo headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “We would like to know whether the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai has taken suo moto decision to adopt the Black Hole technology at Sonsodo or whether the HPCC panel had met anytime to take a call on the important issues,” he questioned.
“Let there be transparency before adopting a new technology. Residents staying around Sonsodo have had had enough over the years. We don’t want a technology which is only viable on paper,” he added.
Buyao said the party has claimed that it will start the plant in the USA in another 60 days time. “If that is the case, why can’t we here in Goa wait for 60 more days. Secondly, the TCP Minister had mentioned that the party will start a pilot project at Sonsodo, but in the power-point presentation there was no mention of any demonstration free of cost,” he added.
