the goan I network
MARGAO
Residents staying close to the Sonsodo dump yard have expressed concern over the failure of the authorities to cap the smoke billowing from the site, saying the continuous emission of smoke from the site poses a health hazard to the residents and the children of the adjoining school.
The Margao fire brigade on Friday rushed to the dump on Friday to extinguish the fire that surfaced once again at the spot, which was engulfed in a major fire in December last. While the fire men returned home after the fire fighting operation, local residents claimed that there’s no stop to the continuous emission of smoke from the dump, which is posing a health hazard to the school children and the residents as well.
“Since December last, when a portion of Sonsodo was engulfed in a fire caused by the overhead high tension power line, we have constantly seen smoke billowing from the dump. We understand that the fire brigade had put off the fire, but can the authorities turn a blind eye to the smoke billowing from the dump, almost every day,” remarked a resident.
In fact, an agitated resident pointed out that the Margao Municipal Council is taking the matter lightly, with the civic body having no plan to contain the smoke. When a group of residents of Curtorim had called on Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar with a plea to put an end to the smoke emanating from the dump, they were told that the smoke comes out from inside the dump due to formation of the methane gas.
“Why should the innocent school children and the residents suffer just because the smoke comes out from the dump because of the methane gas. The MMC cannot abdicate its responsibility to get the smoke capped permanently,” the resident said, while disclosing plans to knock the doors of the High Court with the directions to the civic body to evolve a mechanism to contain the hazardous smoke.
