MARGAO
Over a thousand plastic bins have gone up in smoke, while a power transformer and other electrical equipment, besides cables and other gadgets were all destroyed in Friday’s fire at Sosnodo.
Preliminary estimates prepared by the Margao Municipal Council have revealed that the losses caused by the fire mishap could cross the Rs 50 lakh figure. Besides, one of the two baling machines has been gutted in the fire, with officials saying the damaged machine may be beyond repairs.
A Municipal official pointed out that the loss on account of the destruction caused to the power transformer and other electrical equipment may touch around Rs 40 lakh. The MMC on Saturday roped in a consultant to assess the loss and damage caused by the Friday fire, who has pegged the preliminary loss to around Rs 40 lakh.
What has left the MMC officials a worried lot is that the Sonsodo plant and the baling shed is without power for the last two days. And, if MMC officials are to be believed, it may take around a
month to restore the power supply by installing a transformer and other electrical equipment.
Meanwhile, MMC officials have admitted that over a thousand household plastic bins, which were stored near the baling shed, has been reduced to ashes. These household bins were supplied by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) when the Margao council kick-started the door-to-door waste management programme.
However, the remaining bins were all dumped at the MMC old market garage since then, before they were all transported to Sonsodo following public outcry that bins are dumped at the garage without being put to use.
