MAPUSA
The decision of the State government to transport 30 tonnes of Margao wet waste to Saligao solid waste treatment plant has stunned villagers of Saligao, who have now decided to take things in their hands and oppose the move.
While the Saligao village panchayat is contemplating to call for a special Gram Sabha to discuss the issue, some public spirited citizens have decided to join hands and chalk out a plan of action against the move.
According to Saligao Sarpanch Lucas Remedios, the government has been taking undue advantage of the magnanimous nature of the people of Saligao.
He said the government was turning the village into a garbage dump yard without bothering of the problems faced by the locals.
“This is not the first time they are planning to transport Sonsodo waste to the Saligao waste treatment plant. They have done it in the past and will continue in future. We need to stop this somewhere. We have decided to call for a special Gram Sabha to exclusively discuss this problem,” Remedios said.
The State government had recently informed the Bombay High Court at Goa that it will enhance the quantity of waste that is being transported to the Saligao solid waste management plant (SWMP) by another 10 tonnes per day, as a stop gap arrangement in order to speed up the treatment of the legacy dump at Sonsodo.
Earlier, 20 tonnes of wet waste was already being dispatched to the Saligao SWMP for treatment which will now go up to 30 tonnes per day.
The villagers of Saligao, Calangute and Candolim have been complaining of the stench emanating from the plant.
A resident of Saligao and Congressman, Tulio D’Souza, said the worst fears of the villagers that the Saligao garbage treatment plant will eventually treat waste from the entire Goa is coming true.
“The government is looking at symptomatic and stop-gap arrangements when garbage is to be treated on war footing. The government’s priorities are totally wrong and lop-sided. And today, the brunt of this backlash is faced by the people of the State and in this case, the people of Saligao,” D’Souza opined.
He said all like-minded people of Saligao will be meeting soon to chalk out a plan of action against the government’s move.
Saligao MLA Kedar Naik said the concerns of the locals were “true” and “realistic”.
“Only those who reside in the vicinity of the plant know about the stench emanating from the plant and the hazards of transporting wet waste to the plant. We have met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and he has assured us that it is a temporary arrangement,” Naik said.
