the goan I network
MARGAO
With just seven days to go for the hearing of the Sonsodo imbroglio before the South Goa District Court, there seems to be no perceptible change in the ground reality on the city’s solid waste management since the last date of hearing around two months ago.
The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-headed High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) did meet once in the last two months as per the submission made by the Margao Municipal Council’s legal counsel in the Court at the last date of hearing.
The HPCC even gave its nod for the two bio-methanol waste treatment plants in the city and even dispatched a team of officials and MMC Chairperson to the national capital to study the functioning of these plants.
The ground reality, however, remains unchanged.
While Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, during his visit to the civic body, had announced that Margao Municipality would soon tender the procurement of containerised waste treatment plants, the tendering process is yet to be set in motion till date.
When The Goan called up MMC Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik to shed light on the status of the tendering of the two plants, he only said his office is yet to receive the go-ahead signal from the office of Director of Urban Development to tender the project.
Incidentally, when The Goan tried to find out from the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) on the status of the Margao Municipal Council’s bio-methanol plants, officials said the Corporation is in no way involved in the work of setting up the plants at Margao.
The official, however, pointed out that the government has now sought details from the Delhi-based plant on the various aspects of the functioning of the bio-methanol plants, adding that the Director of Urban Development will take a call on these plants after receiving the details.
At the last two hearings in the district Court, the Margao Municipality had made submissions before the Court that the Civic body has been awaiting the meeting of the Chief Minister-headed HPCC to work out a solution to the vexed issue.
In fact, while seeking further time, the MMC legal counsel had submitted to the Court at the last date of hearing that a solution may emerge once the High Powered Coordination Committee headed by the Chief Minister meet and discuss the situation.
Leave alone coming out with a solution to the waste problem, the Margao Municipal council is facing a crisis of sorts on waste management.
After the High Court had barred open waste dumping at the Sonsodo yard, the civic body has still not found a way to tide over the
problem of waste collection and segregation, particularly the tonnes of waste that find its way to the 70-odd black spots.
Proposed containerised plants nowhere in sight
MARGAO: The proposed containerized waste management plants mooted by the Margao Civic body and approved by the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-headed High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) may not take shape in the not so near future.
Contrary to expectations that the two containerized waste treatment plants may be set up in the commercial capital immediately following the visit of officials and Municipal Chairpersons to Delhi, the department of Urban Development has constituted a technical committee for arriving at technical specifications for the 5-10 tonne bio-methanation plants.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Officer, an Urban development officer said that the department has now proposed to float an Expression of Interest to firm up the specifications.
In this connection, the department has told the Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik that the Civic body may float a tender using he 14th Finance Commission funds, with a request to move a specific proposal to the department.
