MARGAO
Waste burning returned back to haunt the Margao Municipal authorities when waste stacked in gunny bags was engulfed by fire at the old fish market behind the Margao Municipal building on Thursday.
Mystery surrounds over the exact cause behind the fire, whether the waste caught fire accidentally or whether miscreants had set the waste bags afire.
What has come as a big shock and surprise was that while the fire was first noticed at around 8 am in the morning, no official or worker of the Margao Municipal Council took cognizance of the fire and called up the Margao fire brigade to extinguish the same.
It was only around 12 noon that a local resident called up the Margao fire brigade after he realised that the fire was spreading at the site.
While the Margao fire brigade was quick to bring the fire under control, the fire personnel, however, could not shed light on the cause behind the fire.
Former Margao Municipal Chairperson Rajendra Ajgaonkar told the media that the MMC should clear the dry waste and green waste mini-dumps that have taken place across the city before they go up in flames. “I am afraid that the waste dumps that are seen across the city might catch fire and pose danger to the residents and the vehicles. Today, nothing has happened to the vehicles parked at the old fish market, but the MMC should take precautionary measures,” Ajgaonkar added.
Margao Municipal officials sought to down play the fire incident as a minor one, but if sources are to be believed, the fire incident is a wake-up call for the councillors and Babus to clear the green waste dumps across the city.
Earlier this week, Margao Municipal councillor Shagun Naik, representing the Comba ward, had complained of a dry waste dump taking shape in his ward, right at a residential locality.
