MARGAO
With the Sonsodo waste treatment plant coming under the scanner for want of an effective mechanism to treat the daily waste and the delay in adopting new technology to deal with the waste problem, Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes descended on the waste dumping site to take stock of the situation.
A day after The Goan highlighted the fact that smoke was emanating from the wet waste dumped inside the treatment plant, the Chief Officer made his presence felt at the plant for a first-hand experience of the current situation and initiate action.
Given that the waste treatment plant has not received due attention from the municipal engineers as per the rotation system in place, the Chief Officer has mulled certain measures not only to put the machinery in place, but proper monitoring by the municipal engineer.
The Chief Officer is believed to have issued directions to the technical section to make the machinery installed inside the plant operative, including the trommel, the grab etc to ensure that the waste does not get accumulated inside the plant beyond the time-frame.
While the workers hired by the civic body have capped the smoke inside the plant, the municipality has a clear task on how to ensure scientific treatment of the daily wet waste collected from the city.
The Chief Officer has directed the municipal technical section to repair the road around the plant and make it motorable. It is learnt that instructions have been issued to repair the shed as well as the drains around the treatment plant on a priority basis.
During the visit, the Chief Officer was being given to understand that the civic body has not cleared the wage bill of the contract workers for the last two months, raising questions why the technical section had delayed payment of the wages.
After a meeting with the sanitation inspector, Viraj Arabekar, the Chief Officer has given instruction to operate the baling machines installed at the SGPDA parking lot and at the old fish market to expedite disposal of dry waste.
The CO’s visit to Sonsodo may get the various municipal sections to gear up to meet the challenges at the treatment plant. However, questions are being raised whether the administration and the government will look at a new technology to streamline the operation at the plant.
