MARGAO
As the Margao Municipal Council unveiled a roadmap to the High Court to bring about a turnaround at Sonsodo, the civic body may have to grapple with the oft-repeated question “ for how long will the municipality send waste-laden trucks from Sonsodo to the Saligao treatment plant as the MMC is yet to unveil a permanent mechanism for the treatment and disposal of 35 tonnes of daily wet waste generated in the commercial capital?
The Audit raised the question about the long-term plan to resolve the mess as per the Solid Waste Management Manual 2016 and so are Madgavkars and Fatordekars anxious to know MMC’s permanent solution, more so when the municipal trucks are transporting around 10 tonnes of wet waste to Saligao daily.
Consider this for an answer. Exactly a year ago when Waste Management Minister Atanasio Monserrate descended at Sonsodo on April 26, 2022, along with local MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Digambar Kamat and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, he promised to set up two 25TPD mini-bio digesters on the lines of the Saligao plant.
A year later, nothing has been heard about these bio-digesters which the government promised to set up within 18 months.
The MMC has not unveiled a permanent plan for Sonsodo and is silent on whether it would go for the bio-digesters.
Questions are also raised about whether the MMC is toying with a plan to send the daily waste to the Cacora plant after its commissioning, or will wait for the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to set up a plant at Verna Industrial Estate.
A glance at the undertaking submitted in the High Court shows most of the measures proposed to be initiated at Sonsodo are short-term plans to set up the mechanism, logistics and infrastructure on garbage handling, throwing up questions on how the MMC intends to go about a permanent mechanism after the shed is cleared of the piled up waste in six months.
Consider this. As per the submission to the High Court, the records indicate that MMC collects 35 tonnes of wet waste and 15 tonnes of dry waste daily.
Out of this, about 10 tonnes of wet waste is sent to Saligao, while another five tonnes is treated at the SGPDA by the bio-methanation plant. A whopping 20 tonnes of wet waste is presently being dumped into the shed.
The MMC further stated in the High Court that the existing old wet waste will be positively cleared by end of September 2023. This statement has been accepted as an undertaking to the court, but the moot question remains unanswered “ how will the MMC go about treating the 35 tonnes of wet waste after September 2023 when the piled-up waste is carted out?
Solid Waste Management Manual 2016 (Section 1.4.5 and section 1.4.6) emphasises the need for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to prepare detailed plans, with short-term (2-5 years) and long-term (20-25 years) plans. The Audit pointed out that the short-term plan should lead to the achievement of the long-term plan. Each short-term plan should be revived every 2-3 years, to ensure the higher success of implementing all plans.
MMC grapples with leachate as black liquid flows on road
MARGAO:
The Margao Municipal Council is presently grappling with the leachate generated at the Sonsodo plant with the black liquid not just flowing onto the road but raising a stink at the site.
While MMC has initiated the process to construct the leachate tanks at the site, it will take time before the flow is channelized. Work on the three leachate tanks is presently underway, while MMC has proposed another two tanks at the site as per the submission to court.
Further aggravating the leachate problem was the water used to douse the fire that engulfed the waste mound inside the shed a month ago. Around 22,000 litres of water used by the fire brigade has mixed with the leachate, creating a stinking environment.
One can see leachate and water accumulation inside the shed, suggesting that all isn’t well at Sonsodo.
“We expect to tide over the leachate problem once the tanks are put in place. That should solve the problem,” the municipal official said.
