the goan I network
MARGAO
Is the waste that has piled up inside the waste treatment Plant at Sonsodo excluded waste or inert?
Officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Monday collected waste samples to ascertain the contentious question, whether the waste is excluded or inert, four days after the question took centre stage in the South Goa district Court after Fomento drew attention of the Court that the waste treatment plant is choked with around 800-900 tonnes of excluded waste.
The GSPCB’s action comes following directions issued by the South Goa district Court at the last date of hearing on December 12 to collect samples of the waste from the plant and ascertain the nature of the waste.
The GSPCB is now expected to examine the nature of the waste and file a report in the district Court at the next date of hearing scheduled on January 4.
The question over the nature of the waste that has piled up inside the waste treatment plant assumes significance and is expected to put an end to the row between Fomento and the Margao Municipal Council over the waste. For, while Fomento has maintained that the 800-900 tonnes of waste lying inside the plant is excluded waste and has to be carted away by the Margao Civic body, the MMC has begged to differ, saying the waste lying in the plant is inert and is the responsibility of Fomento.
The issue came to the fore after Fomento moved an application before the district Court saying that continued operation of the plant is being rendered impossible since MMC refuses to cart away the excluded and non-compostable waste, which has been piling up in the plant.
In fact, Fomento has submitted to the Court that unless appropriate orders are passed directing the MMC to cart away the excluded waste, it will not be possible for the company to continue to accept the municipal solid waste and run the plant.
The Court issued directions to GSPCB to collect waste samples from the plant after MMC contested Fomento’s claim that the waste lying inside is excluded, insisting that the tonnes of waste piled up in the plant is inert.
Besides GSPCB officials who collected the waste samples, officials of the Margao Municipal Council and representatives of Fomento were present at the plant when the samples were lifted for testing.
