MARGAO
In an interesting development on the waste imbroglio facing the commercial capital, the Margao Municipal Council has on Tuesday submitted to the High Court that no waste is being sent to the 5TPD bio-methanation waste at the SGPDA market, which has come under the scanner of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
The civic body, however, has made a submission before the High Court in the PIL filed by the Citizens for Sonsodo through its secretary Roque Mascarenhas that the bio-methanation plant at the SGPDA market will be made operational within 15 days from today.
The statement was made by MMC counsel Adv S D Padiyar in the court on Tuesday based on the instructions from the MMC Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar.
While submitting that in the meanwhile no waste is sent at the bio-methanation plant at SGPDA market, the MMC counsel further stated that the directions issued by the GSPCB in its notice dated 01.12.2023 are being complied with.
The counsel for the GSPCB, Adv A V Pavithran stated in the High Court that the GSPCB’s officials will inspect the site and apprise the Court on the next date about compliance with the directions.
Margao Municipal Council’s 5TPD bio-methanation waste treatment plant has come under the scanner of the Goa State Pollution Control Board after Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira descended in the SGPDA market to inspect the plant along with local Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai following complaints of pollution.
Based on the Environment Minister’s inspection and an earlier notice issued by the GSPCB, the Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar was directed to appear before the GSPCB Member Secretary on December 1, wherein the MMC was told to prepare an Action Plan and also comply with the directions issued of the Board earlier.
Meanwhile, the Margao Municipal Council submitted the status of the construction of a retaining wall on the western boundary of Sonsodo when the PIL came up for hearing in the High Court on Tuesday.
MMC Counsel Padiyar pointed out that a request has been made on 12 October, 2023 to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) to issue a work order to the contractor.
The Court has said the DMA to dispose of this request within a week, particularly since the construction of the retaining wall on the western boundary was one of the recommendations made by the DMA to sort out a serious issue that has arisen at Sonsodo.
Padiyar further pointed out that the work order for the commencement of the work has been kept ready and the MMC is only awaiting the DMA’s approval. “Accordingly, we think that the matter should not be delayed for want of such approval any further,” the Court observed.
The Court is expected to consider the compliances by the Margao Municipal Council and the Goa Waste Management Corporation at the next date of hearing on January 17, 2024.
