the goan I network
MARGAO
In fact, Thursday’s meeting has become a talking point in the corridors of the civic body as well as among officials of government agencies, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) and others since the High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) headed by Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar, had already given its go ahead for bio-remediation of the existing waste at the site.
As a matter of fact, GSUDA, which was appointed as a nodal agency to set the process in motion, had tendered work on the bio-remediation proposal at an estimated cost of close to Rs five crore. The agency has shortlisted a Delhi-based company to execute the bio-remediation and the work order is expected to be issued by GSUDA only after the Works Advisory Panel gives it green signal since the estimated cost of the project is close to Rs five crore.
When The Goan called up GSUDA Member Secretary Elvis Gomes to shed light on the urgent meeting called by the Digambar Kamat-led sub-committee, he feigned ignorance of the exact objective behind the meeting. Elvis, however, hastened to add that GSUDA is all geared up to execute work on the bio-remediation project sanctioned by the HPCC headed by CM. In fact, he said that GSUSA had delayed issuance of the order to the Delhi-based contractor given the intervening monsoons, adding that it is in the process of issuing work order for bio-remediation of the waste dump in the jurisdiction of the Margao Municipal Council.
What’s interesting to note is that while GSUDA is ready to issue the work order to the Delhi-based company to take up bio-remediation work, questions have been raised whether the Margao Civic body has made arrangements to take care of fresh garbage which will no longer be accepted at Sonsodo once the tendered work begins.
The MMC has also been asked by GSUDA to identify certain locations in consultation with PWD and GSPCB for the disposal of the waste left behind after screening of the garbage. GSUDA had also told the civic body to take responsibility in disposal of hazardous waste, e-waste, battery waste and bio-medical waste generated while processing the existing dump yard.
More importantly, GSUDA had told the civic body to find a landfill site for the disposal of the leftover waste, inert waste and building material that would be generated after the screening of the existing waste dump. Questions have been raised whether GSUDA’s contractor will be able to execute the bio-remediation work without taking all these things into consideration.
