the goan I network
MARGAO
Asserting that the Solid Waste Management Corporation has an action plan in place to tackle the Sonsodo imbroglio, Minister for Waste Management Michael Lobo on Sunday said once Fomento vacates the plant, the Corporation would step in provided the civic body hands over the site. However, he made it clear that it may take around four to five months for the Corporation to set up a new “green plant” at Sonsodo once the Margao Municipal Council decides to hand over the site.
Speaking to The Goan on the sidelines of a football tournament final at Nuvem on Sunday, the minister said the Corporation cannot step in at Sonsodo till Fomento moves out and the MMC gives us the green signal to step in.
“The ball is in the court of the MMC to hand over the site to the Corporation. We are waiting for the exit of Fomento from the site to put our action in place,” he said.
When his attention was drawn to the ongoing litigation between Fomento and the MMC over Sonsodo, Lobo said the litigation may go on in court and the court may take its own time to decide the issue, but solution to the day-to-day garbage is the need of the hour”.
The Minister pointed out that the Corporation may require a shed to treat day-to-day garbage generated in the city once the new plant comes up at Sonsodo. “The bio-digesters, which will be set up at Sonsodo, will generate electricity. But it may take around four to five months to put the action plan in place,”
he added.
Saying the legal issue between MMC and Fomento arose over money and after the civic body failed to send segregated waste to the plant and the company insisting only on segregated waste, Lobo said the Corporation will tighten the screws once it steps in at Sonsodo. “We will tighten all screws to ensure the MMC sends only segregated waste. The Corporation will invoke the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules to make the Civic body send only segregated waste at Sonsodo. We will fine the people handing over mixed waste’, he warned, saying the Corporation has a mechanism in place to handle the waste.
Seeking cooperation of the concerned MLAs, including Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and neighbouring MLAs of Curtorim and Navelim Reginaldo Lourenco and Luizinho Faleiro respectively, Lobo said the issue can be resolved if all the stakeholder, including the MMC, NGOs, housing societies join hands to address the issue.
“At Saligao, there’s no garbage piling up at the plant. The plant receives 200 tons of garbage and the same is treated every day”, he said, adding “We will give a green plant for Sonsodo. By green, I mean there will be no dump and the daily waste is treated at the site”.
