the goan I network
MARGAO
A municipal team comprising of MMC Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudessai, Chairperson Y B Tawde, Municipal engineers and officials, who tried to enter the acquired land on Saturday with a JCB under political protection had to beat a hasty retreat after the local villagers from Raia and people from Borda and Gogol strongly objected to the move.
Attempts by the MMC chairperson to convince the villagers that the Municipality intends to only store the plastic waste generated during the bio-remediation in the acquired land came to naught with the agitated villagers insisting that they will not accept any waste from Sonsodo in Raia village.
The MMC had some years ago acquired land admeasuring 30,000 sq mtrs opposite the Sonsodo dump yard, but located in adjoining Raia village. The area in question is located around 250 sq mtrs away from the main Sonsodo road and one has to cross the Fabrica property to enter the acquired land.
Similar attempts made by the civic body to dump waste from Sonsodo on the acquired land had come under stiff objection from Raia villagers, prompting the Municipality to abandon the plan.
Saturday morning, the Municipal team headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai descended on the land to clear the shrubs and bushes to make way for the storage of the plastic waste generated in the bio-remediation process, but returned back disappointed. “The people were not ready to listen to our pleas that we intend to use only 5,000 sq mtrs of the total acquired land just for the storage of the plastic waste. We have no intention to dump any garbage on the acquired land, but only plastic waste before it is bailed and transported to the cement companies in Karnataka,” she said.
Former Raia sarpanch Xavier Fernandes said that the MMC acquired land is not suited for waste dumping or storage for the simple reason the area is a valley and the waste will flow down towards the entire village, causing pollution. “Raia villagers had opposed waste dumping on the acquired land, which falls in Raia. We will not allow any waste from Margao to enter our village,” he added.
Left with no option, the Chairperson has told the Municipal engineers to meet with the bio-remediation project in-charge and resolve the question of space required for the storage of the rejects generated in the bio-remediation project.
While the contractor is looking out for minimum 5,000 sq mtrs of land to house the rejects till their final disposal, MMC officials said Sonsodo site has no land to spare for the bio-remediation reject initiated at the dump yard.
