MARGAO
Has Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) Member Secretary Dashrath Redkar and senior official Sanjeev Joglekar anything to say on the mini-garbage dump taking shape at the SGPDA parking lot, which will play host to the July 8 Public Hearing on the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for South Goa.
The duo was scheduled to inspect the SGDPA parking lot during the weekend before they give the final nod for the venue of the July 8 CZMP hearing. It isn’t clear what measures the duo, more so Sanjeev Joglekar, who also holds the position as Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Environmental Engineer, has suggested to the district authorities and the Margao Municipal Council how to go about the work in respect of clearing the mini-waste dump at the parking lot.
In normal circumstances, even officials say that leave alone giving clearance for the public hearing venue, Joglekar ought to have issued a notice to the concerned authorities, including the SGDPA and the Margao Municipal Council for allowing the mini-garbage dump to take shape at the parking lot, posing nuisance and a health hazard to the neighbourhood.
Both GCZMA Member Secretary Dashrath Redkar and Sanjeev Joglekar were not available for comments on Sunday over their experience of the parking lot, which is expected to play host to thousands of people of South Goa for the July 8 public hearing.
In fact, just around 10 days to go for the July 8 public hearing at the SGDPA parking lot, but the authorities are yet to move in to clear the garbage dump located on the western side.
A visit to the site on Sunday revealed that nothing changed on the ground since the inspection carried out by South Goa district Collector, Ruchika Katyal, IAS, Additional Collector Surendra Naik and others around a fortnight ago.
While the district Collector had issued instructions to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes to clear the waste from the area, the ground reality remains unchanged.
It still isn’t clear whether the Margao Municipality technical and sanitary section will step into the SGPDA parking lot only on the eve of the public hearing.
Even officials in private admit that not only the waste needs to be cleared, but the entire area sanitised and fumigated well ahead of the July 8 hearing. For, leachate has started flowing in the area from the unattended dump, posing risk and nuisance.
That’s not all. The stagnant waters right in front of the Sulabh toilet near the waste dump, has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Additional Collector, Surendra Naik, when contacted, has said the MMC had assured to clean up the area from the waste and nuisance eight days before the hearing.
