the goan I network
MARGAO
Covering of the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin or geomembrane may be further delayed this year. The process of floating the e-tender for the Rs 18 lakh work of covering the dump yard was first delayed by the election code of conduct, the week-long fire and smoke has further delayed the operation, carried out annually upon directions of the High Court for the past decade.
With the election code is finally lifted and the fire-fighting authorities capping the fire and smoke at Sonsodo, the process of covering the dump with tarpaulin or geomembrane has been further delayed for a different reason “ no bidder has placed his bid for the Municipal tender to cover the dump for a cost of Rs 18 lakh.
In fact, MMC’s bid to rope in prospective contractors to carry out the annual ritual of covering the Sonsodo dump came a cropper with no bidder placing bids for the e-tender. Left with no option, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has extended the last date of submission of bids by a week, with official keeping their fingers crossed over receiving bids for the dump covering work.
A senior Margao Municipal engineer has hoped that the e-tender receives at least two bids from the contractors, to facilitate the finalizing of the contractor, adding that a lone bidder would only cause further delay in finalizing the contractor.
“In the event the e-tender receives a lone bid, the rules mandate that the file is sent to the PWD for further action. This would only cause delay in the covering of the dump yard,” the engineer said.
As the objective of the covering the Sonsodo dump yard is to prevent the leachate of water during the monsoons, sources in the know said the very objective may be defeated if there’s further delay in covering the dump yard with the monsoons round the corner.
“We are already in the first week of June and by the time, the e-tender is opened it would be around June 13. A lone bidder would further push the finalization of the bid as the file has to go to the PWD. Taking into account that it would take minimum a week to cover the entire dump with tarpaulin, the entire process may as well end by the month end,” sources added.
It’s now a decade since the Margao Municipal Council had first covered the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin upon orders of the High Court. In 1989, the High Court had ordered the MMC to cover the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin in order to prevent leachate from flowing into the adjoining water channels and rendering the water bodies polluted.
NOT SO SURE
In 1989, the High Court had the MMC to cover the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin in order to prevent leachate from flowing into the adjoining water channels
This year, there is uncertainty on whether the covering of the dump with tarpaulin be completed in due time before the Monsoon arrives
E-tender floated by the Margao Municipal Council has received no bids so far, with the Council further extending the deadline by a week
The tender has been estimated to be worth Rs 18 lakh. It needs minimum two bids to finalise the contractor for the work
