the goan I network
MARGAO
Will the district authorities manage to cap the Sonsodo fire and smoke at least on World Environment Day which is being observed on the theme “Beat the Pollution” on June 5?
This question is staring at the district authorities as well the Margao Municipal Council which were still battling to contain the fire and smoke on Monday, as the fire fighting and smoke capping operation entered the eight day.
Additional Collector, South Agnelo Fernandes, who is the nodal officer camping at the site monitoring the ongoing week-long operation and Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) Dr Tariq Thomas were seen holed up at Sonsodo throughout Monday.
Incidentally, the authorities banned the entry of media persons to the site. Police barred media persons, only saying they are acting on the instructions of Additional Collector, South, and the Director of Municipal Administration.
While the South Goa Additional Collector Agnelo Fernandes had on Sunday maintained that around 70 per cent of the Sonsodo dump was covered with mud and that the remaining portion of the site will be completed by Monday, the authorities were still working on the site even late Monday evening.
MMC Chief Officer, Sidhivinayak Naik, who appeared before the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Monday with his reply to the Board’s show-cause notice said that he will ascertain the status of the operation at Sonsodo only after returning back from Panaji late Monday evening.
The CO was last week issued a notice to show cause within three days why criminal proceedings should not be instituted against him for the Sonsodo fire and smoke.
Meanwhile, Goacan Coordinator, Roland Martins, in a letter to Pradip Sarmokadam Member Secretary Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), has brought to his
attention the present crisis at the Sonsodo site.
The letter pointed out that the gas that has been released from the garbage site, the fire and the smoke will have an impact on the biodiversity of the affected areas.
