MARGAO
The waste piled up inside the Sonsodo waste management shed is finally getting cleared by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) and remediated outside, with the entire operation to cart out the waste expected to be completed in the next few days.
The Margao Municipal Council, however, is facing a big question “ what next? Will the MMC start treatment of the waste with the machinery installed inside the waste management shed or will it send the wet waste daily to the Cacora waste treatment plant?
A host of questions have come to stare at the municipality if one goes by the “status report” filed by GWMC before the High Court during the hearing of a PIL filed by the Citizens for Sonsodo through its secretary Roque Mascarenhas.
The GWMC status report has touched on the repair of MSW shed at Sonsodo. The report states that the MMC has till date not repaired their overhead crane, grabber feeding the trommels and damaged screening mesh of trommels for treatment of the day-to-day waste at Sonsoddo, as the shed has been 80 per cent cleared from mix waste dump inside the shed.
The status report further stated that no permanent electricity connection has been restored to the machinery inside the shed since March 2022 when the transformer was gutted by fire in the baling shed. It said that since the fire incident on March 4, 2022, the electricity supply to the Sonsodo shed has not been restored.
Where's the 15TPD waste treatment plant?
Margao Municipal Council’s road map on Sonssodo seemed to have hit a roadblock.
Consider this. The High Powered Committee constituted for setting up Solid Waste Management Facility at Sonsoddo in its meeting held on May 22, 2023 had resolved that the GWMC in consultation with GSUDA shall
undertake the work of setting up of 15 TPD wet waste treatment plant at Sonsodo as deposit work for Margao Municipal Council (MMC).
The status report stated that the GWMC accordingly floated Expression of Interest (EOI) for estimation purpose for setting up of 15 TPD bio-methanation plant along with 5 years operation and maintenance for treating bio-degradable waste at Sonsoddo.
The report states that the lowest quotation received for setting up the 15 TPD plant is Rs 17,06,40,000 and Rs 1944.00/tonne for operations and maintenance. The estimated amount for setting up of the plant is Rs 17,57,59,200 and operation and maintenance rate is Rs 2002 per tonne, considering 3 per cent contingency.
The report further stated that the GWMC vide letter dated 13/10/2023 had requested MMC to obtain Finance Approval for the estimated amount. However, so far the MMC has not conveyed the same.
The GWMC has also requested the MMC to construct a retaining wall, stating that it is necessary for the muncipality to plan the design of the plant and ancillary facilities at the Sonsodo site.
Is the Sonsodo site covered by underground sewerage line?
While shedding light on the laying of underground sewerage line at Sonsodo to handle the leachate generated at the waste management plant, the status report pointed out that the the Sewerage & Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) was requested to extend the existing sewer line to Sonsodo site
for disposal of sewerage and treated leachate.
The GWMC has requested the Court to issue directions to the SIDCGL to undertake this work on priority. The report stated that this requirement is necessary to avoid transportation of leachate by tankers to the nearby STP.
Has the MMC cleared dues of GWMC?
The GWMC had started the operations to transport the wet waste from Sonsodo to the waste management facility at Cacora as per the orders of the High Court. The status report stated that the GWMC started transportation of wet waste from Sonsodda waste management facility to Cacora plant through its appointed agency, M/s BVG Pvt Ltd from September 1, 2023.
However, to date, the bill has not been settled by the MMC. The report mentioned that the initial bill for waste transportation was sent to the civic body on December 22, 2023. Nonetheless, the MMC has yet to reimburse the transportation costs to the GWMC.
The report highlighted that in its order dated August 30, 2023, the High Court had directed that the MMC must compensate the GWMC for the transportation expenses.
