MAPUSA
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has sounded the alarm over the Saligao waste management plant, warning that the facility is dangerously overloaded and at risk of collapse.
Yet, in his detailed remarks, he skirted the most contentious issue currently roiling the village – the Goa Waste Management Corporation’s (GWMC) demand for a buffer zone.
After personally inspecting the plant for over three hours, Lobo said the facility was never designed to handle the quantum of waste being dumped there.
“The plant was originally built for the North Goa coastal belt. Instead, I saw waste arriving from Mormugao, Ponda, Chicalim, around 10–12 panchayats from South Goa, and another 10–12 panchayats from Tiswadi. This is not acceptable,” Lobo said.
He added that the facility, with a designed capacity of 250 tonnes, was receiving waste far beyond its limit.
“Due to overloading, wet waste is not entering the machine but falling from above it. If this continues, the plant could collapse,” he warned.
Lobo also pointed to poor performance by the current staff at the plant, contrasting it with the efficiency of the earlier team. “I have spoken to the chief minister, who has assured that a meeting will be held at the plant this week or by Monday to streamline operations,” he said.
At the same time, the MLA pushed for decentralised treatment, insisting that Mormugao must establish its own facility to manage its waste instead of burdening Saligao.
But while Lobo spoke extensively on mismanagement and overloading, he conspicuously avoided the elephant in the room – GWMC’s controversial buffer zone demand.
The proposal has triggered sharp opposition from villagers, who see it as a backdoor attempt at expansion and fear further encroachment on their land. By sidestepping the buffer zone issue altogether, Lobo’s remarks come across as selective outrage – raising alarm about operational lapses while ducking the political storm raging in Saligao.
