MARGAO
Waste Management Minister Atanasio Monserrate on Tuesday announced a comprehensive solution to the Sonsodo imbroglio, promising to bring about a turnaround to the vexed issue in 18 months.
Unveiling a road map after a meeting with the local MLAs, Digambar Kamat, Vijai Sardesai and Reginaldo Lourenco besides officials of the Margao Municipal Council and Goa Waste Management Corporation, Monserrate said two TPD bio-digesters will be set up at Sonsodo to address the issue as part of a long-term solution.
The bio-digesters planned at Sonsodo will be like a mini-Saligao plant run by the GWMC.
The entire solid waste management at Sonsodo will be taken over by the GWMC. The MMC will only look after the door-to-door waste collection.
The short-term solution includes carting out the piled up garbage from the waste treatment plant and its remediation. He further announced that the ongoing remediation of the legacy dump should be complete in all respects by December end.
The Minister said land admeasuring 3000 square meters reclaimed from the legacy dump site will be used to build the shed to house the two 25TPD bio-digester.
While the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) will bear the cost of carting the piled up garbage in the waste treatment plant, estimated around Rs 3.23 crore, the two 25 TPD plants will be set up with funds under the Finance Commission available with the Municipality.
The meeting has decided to appoint two nodal officers, Sanjeev Joglekar (GWMC) and MMC Assistant engineer Vishant Naik, to coordinate between the GWMC and MMC to implement the decisions.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Monserrate said “be rest assured, the Sonsodo imbroglio will be resolved within 18 months. “I have not come here for a photo shoot, but to find a permanent solution. After today’s meeting, I want to assure the people that a permanent solution in the form of two 25 TPD plants will be in place within 18 months”, he said.
Saying the GWMC has been engaged in remediation of the Sonsodo legacy dump for the last two years, he said the time has now come to put a permanent solution in place. “The GWMC will set up and run the two bio-digesters. The Corporation will also remove the piled up waste and remediate the same”, he said. He added: “I have been hearing Sonsodo for ages. The GWMC and MMC has now planned a permanent solution. This problem will be tackled once and for all”.
Addressing the media, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said “this is a legacy issue, existing for decades. There is no politics involved. We want support from everyone to resolve the issue. The Minister has understood the issue and we have reached a point wherein we have discussed on finding a permanent solution”.
Both Vijai and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said the road map is being put in place and the details will be known after a detailed project report is prepared by mid-May.
GWMC Managing Director, Levinson Martins said the Corporation has worked out both short term and long term solutions. “What we have proposed at Sonsodo is just like a mini-Saligao plant treating wet waste”, he added.
On fires surfacing at Sonsodo, Martins said the soaring temperatures and the heat generated at the waste dump for want of churning of waste, may result in fires in the coming days. On the ongoing remediation, he said the work should be hopefully over by May end. He, however, hastened to add that the entire work should be over by December end.
