Bill of firm treating bio-medicated waste totalling Rs 30 lakh yet to be cleared by MMC
The mound of sanitary diaper waste is taking shape at the Sonsodo waste management site.
MARGAO
What’s this waste mound taking shape at Sonsodo all about? Why has this waste piled up at Sonsodo when the Margao Municipality has been disposing of the wet waste generated in the commercial capital to the Saligao and Cacora waste treatment plants every day? Has his piling up of waste found a mention in the High Court, which has been closely monitoring the Sonsodo imbroglio in the Public Interest Litigation filed by Citizens for Sonsodo?
These and other questions may come to the fore if one comes across the waste mound at Sonsodo and the reasons behind the delay in disposing of the waste. Inquiries by The Goan has only revealed that the waste is neither plastic nor wet waste as it appears, but the tonnes of sanitary diapers and napkin waste
generated in the city and which has been stacked in plastic bags awaiting disposal.
Further inquiries have only revealed that the sanitary napkin waste has only piled up at Sonsodo for the simple reason that the Margao Municipal Council has not yet cleared the bill of the Kundaim-based firm treating bio-medicated waste amounting close to Rs 30 lakh.
If sources are to be believed, the payment of bill has been pending for a couple of months now since the company had lifted tons of sanitary waste from Sonsodo. And, the company is believed to have taken the stand that it’s men and machinery will not lift away the waste till the Margao Municipal Council clears the bill amounting to around Rs 30 lakh.
A representative of the company, sources said, has been doing the rounds of the Margao Municipal Council, calling on the Municipal babus and City Fathers, with the hope of getting the payment for disposing of the sanitary napkin waste, but in vain.
“We haven’t lifted away the sanitary napkin waste for some time now since the MMC has been dragging its feet to clear the previous bills. Our representatives have been interacting with the Municipal Chairperson and other civic officials, but the payment has not been forthcoming till date”, sources said.
The Goan understands that the Municipal Chairperson is believed to have raised queries over the huge bill raised by the company towards the disposal of the sanitary napkin waste. Sources closed to the company, however, maintained that the rates for the disposal of the sanitary pads and napkins have been fixed by the government bodies.
“A fixed rate of Rs 18, excluding GST has been fixed to treat and dispose of a kilogram of sanitary diapers. This rate is not fixed by us, but by the government authorities”, informed a representative of the company.
As the stalemate over the payment of bills for the disposal of the sanitary diapers continues, fears are being raised that Sonsodo may soon play host to another waste mound of sanitary diapers.
The Goan understands that a sizeable quantity of sanitary diaper waste is generated in the commercial capital every month. With households disposing of the sanitary waste along with other waste, the diapers are segregated by the field workers before they are stacked in bundles and transported to Sonsodo. Says a Municipal worker: “Since there’s significant generation of sanitary diaper waste in the city every month, the Municipal body may have few options at its disposal to handle the waste. The earlier the civic body resolves the bill payment issue the better for the Municipality. After all, the civic body cannot ignore and neglect the sanitary diaper waste generated in the city”.
