MARGAO
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat with Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar, Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar and City Fathers in tow launched with fanfare the garden and tree waste shredder at Sonsodo to take care of the city’s green waste.
Women workers engaged by the civic body on bailing of dry waste at Sonsodo cry for water to quench their thirst and to clean their hands and legs after a day’s hard work. In fact, the week-long heavy showers that lashed the city has come as a blessing for these beleaguered workers as they stored the rain water to meet their requirements.
Take note, the water scarcity has been faced by the workers for over two months now, with the water supply provision at the Sonsodo waste dumping site lying defunct.
The workers all assembled at the site upon hearing that Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Municipal officials will visit Sonsodo to launch the garden waste shredder on Monday. They did convey their grievances to the Margao MLA, but they keep their fingers crossed whether they will finally receive water for drinking and washing.
A women worker pointed out that she comes for work at Sonsodo carrying two litres of water every day since there is no water supply at the site. “The water I carry is barely sufficient to meet my drinking requirements. Hence, we are forced to knock the doors of the neighboruing houses to fetch water. Sometimes, we have no water even to wash our hands and legs before getting down for lunch”, she added.
Another labourer claimed that the water supply at Sonsodo has been hit since the time the power supply was disconnected. “Since there is no power supply, pumping operations have come to a halt”, he said.
The laboruers, especially the women, made a fervent plea to the Municipal authorities to make provision for water supply at Sonsodo.
Questions are being raised why the labourers engaged for the dry waste baling work had to suffer for want of water supply. As per the High Court directions, a team of Margao Municipal engineers are mandated to work from Sonsodo on rotation basis. “We have brought the situation to the notice of the Municipal officials for the last two months, but in vain”, a worker pointed out.
Pointing out that the Margao Municipality has finally moved in at Sonsodo to tone up the garbage treatment infrastructure after the High Court’s directions, another worker hoped that the High Court would take cognizance of their working conditions and give them relief.
