the goan I network
MARGAO
Ahead of Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai’s second round of visit to Sonsodo later this week, the Margao Municipal Council seems to have done its homework and is ready with answers for any questions on the short-term measures to be adopted at the dumping site before the monsoon.
With the Deputy Chief Minister setting three-day deadline on the civic body to conduct a survey of all drinking water wells in ward Nos 9 and 7, the two wards which are located in the vicinity of the Sonsodo dump yard, the civic body has completed the exercise in two days time.
In fact, the civic body has now all the details of the wells in these two wards and the measures the municipality will take to decontaminate the wells before the monsoons.
While ward No 9 has around 16 drinking wells, around seven wells are located in ward No 7, with MMC officials stating that the civic body has shortlisted prospective contractor to undertake cleaning of the wells before the monsoon.
Given that the election code of conduct, which is till in force, has barred floating of tenders, the civic body is considering inviting quotations from prospective contractors to take up the well cleaning work on top priority.
Given that the Deputy Chief Minister had issued directions to the municipal officials to introduce larvae eating fish in the wells, the civic body is believed to have dashed off a letter to the health department with a plea to arrange the kankatre fish for introduction in the wells.
On the short-term measure of covering the Sonsodo dump with tarpaulin to prevent leachate from flowing into the adjoining water bodies, a MMC official said the civic body is pursuing the matter with the Election Commission as the municipality letter has already gone to the election authorities seeking permission to float the tender for the capping of the garbage dump.
“The civic body has no option but to e-tender the capping project as the estimated cost of covering the dump is pegged around Rs 19 lakh. No sooner the EC grants the permission, the e-tender will be floated calling upon prospective bidders to participate in the project,” the official said.
A MMC official said the civic body has taken cognizance of the Deputy Chief Minister’s call to empty the leachate tank before the onset of monsoon. Sardesai had also told the civic body to explore the possibility of connecting the leachate tank to the underground sewerage project.
Interesting, while the Deputy Chief Minister had told the civic officials on Monday that he would return to Sonsodo on May 9 to take a review of the measures suggested by him, sources said Sardesai may visit the dumping site on Friday to take stock of the situation.
Sardesai had descended on Sonsodo on Monday to take stock of the situation and left the site after courting a row when he knocked down the mobile phone of MMC Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik, triggering outrage on social media, which later prompted the Deputy CM to issue a statement expressing regret over the incident.
