the goan I network
MARGAO
With the spraying of enzymes procured by Margao Municipal Council at a whopping cost of Rs 20 lakh proving ineffective in completely capping the Sonsodo fire, raging since the last five days, the authorities on Friday has finally resorted to the conventional mode of extinguishing garbage fires -- with mud and water.
The bigger question, however, still remains unanswered -- how did the Civic body opt for enzymes as a solution to the raging fire when the conventional method of capping the fire with truckloads of mud and water had proved effective to cap a massive fire at Sonsodo around a decade ago? With the authorities opting for the mud-water solution to bring the fire under control, the Margao Municipality has handed over the balance 700 litres of the enzymes to the fire department to use it at the site as per their discretion. “Someone spread false news that MMC is returning the unused consignment of enzymes to Mumbai. This is false. The Maharashtra fire officer did not call for a stop to use the enzymes. He even went on to say that in a disaster like this, you have to avail all options available’, MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai said.
To a question, Babita said she would not say the enzymes were ineffective in controlling the fire, as the operation had helped to bring the fire and smoke under control to a large extent in the last five days.
The decision to opt for the conventional mode of capping fire with mud and water was taken following the recommendation made by the Maharashtra Fire services Director after an inspection of the Sonsodo dump yard on Friday noon.
Incidentally, the Margao Municipal Council had capped a similar fire at Sonsodo around a decade ago with truckloads of mud at the initiative of the then district Collector. Sources in the know informed that the district administration had roped in a local Class I contractor to mobilize trucks and mud.
Sources informed that though a section of Margao Municipal Councilors were in favour of utilizing the services
of the very same contractor, who has the wherewithal, including mud to take up the job of capping the fire, the Civic body preferred to opt for spraying of the enzymes mixed with water at the dump.
Sources in the know said that with the government appointing district Collector, South as a nodal officer in the fire fighting operation, the operation to cap the fire with the mud and water has started late evening at the site.
Former Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho raised suspicions over the decision to rope in the Mumbai-based company to cap the fire with enzymes. “From day one, I had pointed out that the only solution to cap the fire was with mud and water. But, the Civic body opted for the Mumbai-based company for reasons best known to the powers that be. In fact, I had claimed that the company will not be successful in capping the fire with enzymes and was waiting for the weather Gods to come to its rescue’, Coutinho added.
