the goan I network
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council may have heaved a sigh of relief last week after Fomento agreed to carry out garbage management at Sonsodo plant till August 31, even though its termination notice served on the civic body expired on August 9.
Just 20 days to go for the next date of hearing and the moot question doing the rounds within and outside the municipal body is simple “ has the MMC any alternate plan in place to treat the daily waste which it presently sends to the Fomento-operated solid waste management plant?
The question assumes significance as time seems to be running out for the civic body to work out alternatives at Sonsodo with the 2011 Concession Agreement with Fomento having come to an end on August 9.
While the civic body plans to install two containerized waste treatment plants, each costing Rs two crore, sources in the municipality say it will take some time before these start operating in reality.
Apart from complying with the mandatory codal formalities by floating tenders, the civic body may be required to get the much-needed nod from state agencies, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Solid Waste Management Corporation.
This is perhaps the first time that containerised plants to treat mixed waste have been proposed in the State and the civic body will certainly require sanction of expert agencies and consent to operate from the Pollution Control Board.
Acting MMC Chairperson Tito Cardozo, who is holding charge of office in place of Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai, said he would talk to Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik.
“The CO was asked by the Chairperson to discuss the Sonsodo issue with the government to find out a solution. I will check with the CO on Tuesday,” Tito said.
The MMC has just 20 days at its disposal to find an alternate solution at Sonsodo.
That the court has told the two parties to work out the modalities with regard to the payment due to the Concessionaire or to find out other solution, indicates that time is running out for the civic body.
Fomento had approached the South Goa District Court with a plea that the MMC should not dispossess the Concessionaire from Sonsodo and to stop the civic body from sending waste to the plant after it failed to make the termination payment amounting to around Rs 14 crore.
In its reply, the civic body contended that the reliefs prayed by Fomento, if granted, would play havoc with the solid waste management and treatment within the Margao municipal area affecting the life and health of over one lakh population and
will bring chaos in the society at large and distress to the public.
