the goan I network
PANAJI
Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo on Friday informed the Goa legislative Assembly that the unloading point (tipping point) for the proposed waste treatment plant at Bainguinim will be below ground level with stainless steel bases for it.
Lobo assured that there will be no foul odour in the area and informed that the plant will be 2.4 kilometres away from the world famous-heritage site of Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa.
There is opposition for this plant as it is in the world-famous heritage zone of Old Goa and also because there are many houses, a hermitage of a Hindu saint and other habitation in the area.
Local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar had moved a calling attention motion on the issue.
He could not speak during debate on calling attention but while speaking on demands he said that he is opposed to the plant.
“We need a garbage treatment plant in Goa but not at that site,” said Madkaikar.
Lobo meanwhile said that as per the direction of NGT all garbage treatment plants at Cacora, Verna and Bainguinim will be completed within a period of 28 months from July 11, 2019.
MLA Sudin Dhavalikar made allegations that the bureaucrats with wrong intention acquired the land despite knowing the fact that the site was close to the heritage area. This was done to save the interest of land owners on Ribandar plateau, he alleged.
Lobo also showed the House a picture of the site where presently Old Goa panchayat is dumping the waste which is just 200 metres away from the Old Goa church.
The garbage treatment plant will generate green electricity by treating waste scientifically, he said.
MLA Churchill Alemao strongly supported the plant and appealed MLAs not to invoke religious sentiments for sake of opposing the plant.
“The Bishop has not objected to the project. The project has to come up,” said Alemao.
Reginaldo Lourenco while opposing the plant said that there are around 800 houses which have come up around the site and the people are opposing the plant. Lobo, however, said that people built houses despite knowing that the site is marked for a waste treatment plant.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the House that after acquiring the Bainguinim site in the year 2010 despite receiving request from Corporation of the City of Panaji the then government did not take a decision of freezing the area for no-development and construction of houses has been done around the area.
Meanwhile, Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar while insisting on immediate construction of new garbage treatment plant demanded that capacity of existing plant as Saligao should not be increased. MLA Luizihno Faleiro said that sanctity of Old Goa should be maintained.
