MARGAO
Is bio-methanation technology the answer to Sonsodo waste disposal imbroglio? Or, is there any other solution to fix the issues facing the disposal of 25-30 tonnes of wet waste generated in the commercial capital?
These and other questions had been a subject of debate during the tenure of the outgoing Margao Council and has come back to haunt the city fathers and citizens as the new Margao Civic Alliance-backed council headed by Chairperson Lyndon Pereira is preparing a road map to address the burning issue.
If the bio-methanation project issue had raked up a row of sorts during the last term, with city fathers divided on the proposal, with Goa Forward strongly batting for the project and the BJP and Congress-backed councilors vehemently opposing the same.
A power point presentation will be held on Saturday by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Environmental Engineer Sanjeev Joglekar on the bio-methanation technology for the benefit of the newly-elected city fathers.
The power point presentation has been apparently arranged following the visit to Sonsodo by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai last week when it came to light that the waste treatment plant via the windrow method has failed to meet the requirements. In fact, Sardesai has batted for the bio-methanation plants for handling the untreated waste dumped at the treatment plant.
While the power point presentation is expected to keep the Council abreast with the bio-methanation technology, questions are being raised in the corridors of the municipal body whether the council is moving ahead with the project this time round when the proposal had hit a roadblock during the last term.
The Fatorda MLA, however, said the power point presentation will give the newly-elected councilors an insight into the bio-methanation technology before the civic body takes a decision how to go about resolving the issue. “Since most of the councilors are new and had no idea about the technology, the presentation will help them to better understand the technology before they take a decision”, he said.
Sardesai, however, said the council is not trying to bulldoze with any technology or proposal, only saying the council should move quickly to get the waste problem resolved. “We have to decide whether we should go for modular plants or one big plant. We have to also take into consideration whether we should go for a big unit when the government has planned a waste treatment plant for South Goa at Verna”, he added.
GSPCB Environmental engineer, Sanjeev Joglekar said the MMC has a task cut out to tackle Sonsodo. “The civic body should decide whether to go for modular bio-methanation plants or a big digester. Secondly, the civic body should take a call whether to go for Expression of Interest to treat the waste stacked inside the plant or treat the waste departmentally. All these questions need to be addressed by the civic body”, he added.
