MARGAO
When will the Margao Municipal Council finally put in place a fire fighting mechanism at the Sonsodo waste management shed which has played host to fires over the years?
When fire engulfed the waste management shed saturated with thousands of tons of untreated waste over a year ago, the Fire services was quick to recommend implementation of fire prevention measures at Sonsodo.
Based on the recommendations of the fire services, the MMC had even mulled roping in a private agency to implement the measures, including the measure to replace the hose and sensitize the workers how to douse the fire before calling the fire brigade.
When the fire broke out at the waste management shed on early Tuesday, the fire brigade, which rushed to the site, found to its shock and surprise the ground reality at Sonsodo has not changed for the better on the fire fighting front since the last one year.
In fact, Fire Officer Gill D’Sa informed that no fire fighting system worth its name is in place at Sonsodo till date, even pointing out that a pipe installed at the site has been found corroded.
The Goan understands that Sonsodo is yet to get dedicated power supply till date after the power equipment were burnt down over a year ago in a fire incident. The MMC had initially roped in a contractor to prepare estimates to set up the transformer and other equipment in place at a cost of Rs 60-odd lakhs. The proposal was later shelved and Power department was instead told to prepare the estimate, which is now pegged at Rs 58 lakh. The power project, however, will see light of the day only after it received government’s administrative nod, source said.
