MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council workers managing solid waste are anxiously looking forward to the city fathers and civic babus to put a slew of measures on the fast track.
For, the proposed Expression of Interest (EoI) to rope in a contractor to take up the job of treating the daily wet waste at the Sonsodo plant is yet to be floated till date. Officials in the know say by the time the EOI is out in public domain and a contractor shortlisted to handle the treatment of daily waste, the shed will be again full to the brim with untreated waste. In fact, officials have called for Plan B in place to handle the daily wet waste and to meet any eventuality in the event the EoI has no takers from bidders.
Consider this. Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Environmental Engineer Sanjeev Joglekar had given a power point presentation for the benefit of the Margao city fathers and citizens alike on July 3, attended by local MLAs, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardedsai.
On July 9, the proposal was placed at the ordinary meeting of the Council, which gave its green signal to float an Expression of Interest inviting prospective bidders to take up the daily waste treatment work.
It’s now July 25, and the much-talked about EoI is still not floated, leave alone roping any contractor to take up the daily waste treatment work. That’s not all. Sources say the MMC will be able to float the EoI only after the proposal gets the sanction from the Director of Municipal Administration.
Sources said the Chief Officer is believed to have written to the DMA for the administration sanction, but there has been no response till date as the Chief Officer did not move any concrete proposal with estimates before the Municipal Director.
While the technical section is believed to have prepared the estimates for the proposed daily treatment of waste by a private contractor, the proposal is expected to be sent to the DMA only with a proposal that the contractor taking up the work will have the first preference in the setting of the two 25TPD bio-methation plants at Sonsodo at a later stage. “Since this proposal was not part of the Municipal resolution, we are waiting for the Chairperson to take a call on the matter. This proposal was mooted at the time of the July 3 Power point presentation on Sonsodo on the plea that prospective contractors bid for the daily waste if they are assured of the work on the two bio-methanation plants.
The GWMC had suggested to the MMC to award work of daily treatment of waste at Sonsodo to a contractor since the time the plant was handed over to the civic body by Fomento over a year and half ago after the company withdrew from Sonsodo. Since then, daily waste generated in the city is dumped in the plant with no treatment worth its name taking place.
RAIN-PAIN: NO BIDDERS FOR WASTE COLLECTION
MARGAO: Though the civic body has floated a tender for construction of an approach road to the Sonsodo waste treatment plant, for over a fortnight now there seems to be no bidders for leasing five trucks and supply labour for collecting waste during the monsoon in municipal area.
If MMC Chairperson Lyndon Pereira is to be believed, there are also no takers for repair of the MMC garage at Old market.
The approach road to the Sonsodo waste treatment has been literally non-existent with drivers manning the garbage laden trucks, complaining of the pathetic road condition, posing danger in view of the uneven and bumpy surface.
After much delay, the MMC had floated an e-tender costing around Rs 40 lakh on the back of administrative approval from the Director of Municipal Administration to execute the work. Sources, however, said the MMC should complete the tendering process at the earliest so that a new approach road to the plant takes shape.
Given the situation that no bidders have come forward to take up the work of leasing trucks and workers and to repair the garage, the MMC Chairperson said the civic body has now extended the time limit by another 10 days, with the hope that prospective contractors will come and take up the two works.
