MARGAO
What was feared all along has come true. The green waste dump comprising of grass and dry waste stacked inside the iconic Margao Municipal garden went up in flames on Tuesday noon, prompting the civic workers to call the fire brigade to bring the fire under control.
The bigger question, however, remains unanswered – when would the civic body stop the dumping of green waste, including dry leaves inside the Municipal garden?
Green waste dumping inside the garden right in front of the Municipal building has been resorted to by the workers for want of adequate mechanism to dispose of the dry leaves and green waste. In the bargain, only the practice has turned the garden into an eyesore, but posed a fire hazard, which has come true on Tuesday noon.
Smoke billowing from the Municipal garden could be seen from a distance. Left with no option, the Municipal worker deployed inside the garden tried to bring the fire under control by spraying tap water, but in vain.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and it is suspected that the fire might have been caused by someone throwing a cigarette or on account of the prevailing weather conditions.
A group of cobblers eking a livelihood around the Margao Municipal building had recently pointed out to the Municipal officials that the waste dump inside the garden has grown in size that they cannot even keep their items near the Municipal workers room.
As the fire incident sounded a grim reminder to the councillors and Municipal Babus that the municipal garden cannot be the dumping yard for dry waste and grass, citizens have demanded that the municipality stop forthwith the dumping of waste inside the municipal garden. “Today’s incident has sounded a warning bell to the MMC to stop dumping of dry and grass waste inside the garden. The MMC should make place in the city for the disposal of such waste. A municipal garden cannot be a dumping yard for waste,” remarked a citizen as the firemen brought the fire under control.
They also demanded that the iconic Municipal garden cannot be the place for the Municipality to dump hand carts and other illegal items seized by the Municipal workers during the anti-encroachment drives.
