Newly-commissioned garbage compactor develops snag

One of the three newly-commissioned garbage compactors stranded at the Margao Municipal garage after the vehicle developed a technical snag.

MARGAO

Strange it may seem, but it's true that a newly-commissioned garbage compactor by the Margao Municipal Council has developed a technical snag and is presently stranded at the Margao Municipal garage awaiting repairs.

On Dusshera day on October 2, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat had commissioned the three garbage compactors, dubbed as state of the art compactors, procured from a Pune firm at a cost of Rs 1.41 crore.

Of the three garbage compactors, sources said one of the compactors developed a snag, just three days after the commissioning. Since then, the vehicle has been lying at the Municipal garage as the MMC officials are waiting for the company technical team to resolve the issue.

Sources pointed out that after the MMC officials informed the company representatives of the situation, the company deputed a technician to Margao to take stock of the situation. They have since taken the unit back home to Pune for repairs, sources said.

For the last eight days now, the compactor has been lying in the municipal garage. To tide over the situation, the MMC is believed to have brought on roads the old compactors to tide over the problem of garbage collection.

Questions, however, are asked in Municipal circles why the civic body has not got the company to tie up with an agency in Goa to attend to emergency situations in the future. 

“The MMC cannot afford to keep newly commissioned compactor in the municipal garage. If there is a fault, the company should immediately rectify the fault or have a tie up with a local agency for maintenance. Since the vehicle in question is involved in garbage collection, the MMC cannot afford to wait for days for the company to address the issue”, remarked a civic official.

The three garbage compactors, equipped with a leachate collection tank, was launched by PWD Minister Digambar Kamat in the presence of Margao Civic Chief Damu Shirodkar,  Councillors and officials near the Municipal building on October 2

The three compactors have cost the civic body a staggering Rs 1.41 crore.

While complimenting the Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar and the team of officials for procuring the technologically driven vehicles for garbage collection, Kamat said “This only goes to show that the MMC is moving towards technology."