The defunct bio-Methanation plant at the SGPDA retail market.
MARGAO
It’s now over a year since Margao Municipal Council’s experiment with a mini-5TPD bio-methanation plant ended in a failure, following the expiry of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB)’s consent to operate the plant.
In fact, what was once intended as a solution for sustainable waste management now stands as a defunct monument in the SGPDA market, reminding of the failed waste management experiment initiated by the Margao Civic body.
To make matters worse, the non-functional Plant now threatens to drain the Margao Municipal coffers, if the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) have its way. For, the SGPDA has raised a bill amounting to Rs three-odd crore to the MMC towards the payment of rent for setting up the plant on the PDA land in the mega retail market.
During the standoff between the MMC and the PDA over the collection of garbage from the PDA mega retail market, SGPDA Chairman, MLA Krishna Daji Salkar had informed the media that the PDA has raised a bill of Rs three-odd crore. Margao Municipal officials have confirmed that the Civic body has received the bill from the Planning body.
The PDA had sent the revised bill to the MMC after the Civic body reminded that the SGPDA has failed to pay garbage collection fees. In fact, the Civic body had over a year ago raised a bill of Rs 1.80 crore on the SGPDA towards the payment of fees for lifting garbage from the PDA market.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered – why has the MMC not yet dismantled the defunct bio-methanation plant from the SGPDA market?
With the GSPCB’s consent to operate expiring over a year ago and the Pollution Control Board directing the MMC to stop operation of the plant, questions remain unanswered. as to what has stopped the MMC from dismantling the plant from the PDA market, more so when the PDA has raised a bill amounting to Rs three crore towards payment of rent for setting up the plant on the PDA land.
