MARGAO
Thick black smoke billowing from Sonsodo after fire reduced tons of dry waste, mostly comprising of plastic waste to ashes for many hours on Sunday raised concerns over environmental pollution and health hazards to the residents staying in close vicinity to the waste dumping site.
For, local residents complained that smoke from the site settled in the residential localities after the fire incident. In fact, a resident informed that they immediately sensed that Sonsodo is engulfed by fire after they inhaled the smoke from the fire.
Fire officials informed that the fire incident has emanated chemical smoke from the site. Since the wind was blowing towards Borda and Margao, the smoke must have travelled towards these areas. We fear that the smoke may head towards Curtorim around noon or evening in the event of change in the wind direction,” the official added.
This is not the first time that residents of Amrut Nagar, Borda in Fatorda area and the adjoining areas of Raia and Curtorim have been subjected to chemical smoke on account of fires at Sonsodo.
In fact, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had once slapped a fine of over Rs 1 crore on the Margao Municipal Council on the Polluter Pays principle after the Sonsodo legacy dump was engulfed by a major fire over a decade ago.
Since then, the Sonsodo waste management shed must have been engulfed by fire on umpteen occasions due to the generation of methane gas on account of accumulation of mixed waste inside the plant.
Raising suspicion, council sanitation panel chief demands detailed probe
MARGAO: Chairman of the Margao Municipal Sanitation Committee, Councillor Camilo Barretto has demanded a detailed probe into the Sonsodo fire incident in view of suspicions raised over the incident.
After visiting the Sonsodo site to take stock of the situation, Camilo said only a detailed inquiry will unearth the true facts and to bring the guilty behind the incident to book.
“I am surprised there was fire to the dry waste shed when there’s no possibility of fire originating inside. The Council has lost lakhs of rupees worth of property after the two baling machines were destroyed in the fire,” he said.
He added: “When the site cannot generate methane gas, how come fire was noticed at two-three places inside the shed. Only an inquiry will unravel the mystery behind the fire.”
Camilo also raised questions on the huge money that is being spent on the transportation of Margao garbage to Cacora.
