MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s plan to set up three 5 TPD bio-methanation plants at the SGPDA markets may run into rough weather.
For, the SGPDA has also drawn up its own plan to go for waste collection and segregation from the wholesale fish market, retail market and the fish market and treat the collected waste by setting up its own waste treatment plant within their market premises. This has only brought to the fore the moot question whether the SGPDA will lease out its land to the MMC when the planning body will be in need of land to set up its own waste treatment plant.
In fact, SGPDA Chairman, Wilfred D’Sa made it clear that the PDA has already put in place a plan to rope in a contractor to treat the waste generated in the markets within the complex.
While MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes pointed out that the SGPDA has already issued NOC to the civic body to set up the bio-methanation plants, SGPDA Chairman D’Sa asserted that the PDA will withdraw the NOC granted to the MMC to set up the plants.
“The SGPDA might have issued the NOC to set up the bio-methanation plants on the PDA land long ago, but the plants are yet to see the light of day. Since the PDA is now in the final stages of finalising its own contractor to treat the waste generated in the SGPDA markets, the NOC issued to the civic body will be withdrawn immediately to pave way for the utilisation of the PDA land for its own waste treatment plant,” D’Sa said.
At the last meeting of the SGDPA held last week, the PDA had given its nod to rope in a contractor to handle the waste generated in the planning body’s wholesale fish market, retail market and the fish market. In fact, the PDA had decided to seek guidance and advice from the Goa Waste Management Corporation how to go about implementing the proposal.
“The SGPDA is firm in having its own waste treatment plant. Presently, the SGPDA is required to pay around Rs 1.5 lakh to the MMC to clear the waste generated in the PDA markets. The contractor, who has been shortlisted by the PDA, has offered to clear and treat the market waste for Rs 2 lakh. This proposal will be taken to its logical conclusion,” D’Sa said.
He added: “Since the PDA will set up its own waste treatment plant in the PDA market, the planning body may not require the MMC plants in its three markets.”
Commenting on the situation, MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes said the civic body had planned to set up the three bio-methanation plants at the SGPDA wholesale fish market, retail market and the fish market based on an NOC issued by the planning body. “If the SGPDA has now drawn up different plans and talks about withdrawing the NOC, the MMC will have to look out for alternate land,” the MMC Chief Officer added.
