he recent fire at the Sonsodo dump has sent alarm signals so much so that the High Court of Bombay, has issued a series of instructions in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Citizens for Sonsodo.
What has irked the locals is the fact that these fires have become a routine phenomenon, especially during the summer. While there have been small fires every year, locals point out to the bigger ones that took place in February 2015, March 2016 and March 2017. Against that backdrop however, 2019 has been eventful and certainly not kind to the locals of the area. The fire in May and the recent fire in December led to vast areas in the vicinity being engulfed in smoke.
In this case, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) was blamed for piling garbage near a 33kVA High Tension electric line resulting in the fire on Thursday. This even though the fire, which had occurred in May had left MMC.
On the other hand, due to the dispute with Fomento Green, MMC has ended up paying crores of rupees in fines penalties and monies mandated to be paid to the concessionaire in the arbitration.
The HC on Friday has also asked MMC to deposit Rs 1 crore to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).
MAY DAY SHOCKER!
It maybe recalled that the entire month of May was a nightmare for the people around Sonsodo. What began as a small fire at the Sonsodo garbage dump on May 27 afternoon, turned into a major methane propelled inferno. People from Curtorim, Raia and surrounding areas were the ones who suffered the most as the smoke-induced fog spread through the air and the fire raged on for days.
Then, MMC and the locality were on their toes and the incident provoked a petition against the entire matter. After a long time,MMC looked serious on the Sonsodo issue and seemed to be taking quick steps. However, they appeared to have flattered to deceive as none of these short term measures translated into long term solution and today the situation at Sonsodo still remains problematic, as can be seen by the latest fire incident.
People have also demanded that the government takes immediate action for a long term solution.
In view of the latest fire, MMC has come under criticism for not realising the possible outcomes in storing dry garbage besides the old dump. The High Court had even directed MMC not to get near to the existing dump.
However, MMC used its own intelligence and installed a baling unit just in front of the dump. To add to the misery, MMC started stockpiling the dry waste sacks on the border of the old dump but never started the baling process, the result of which was the recent fire.
BALING MACHINES CONTROVERSY!
Information procureed under RTI reveals that even after getting the baling facility, MMC has not managed to reduce the dry waste and instead has been operating at the lowest efficiency as far as baling is concerned. Information further revealed that MMC has in a day, hardly baled one-and-a-half tonnes of the huge amounts of dry waste that is collected daily. MMC has 3 baling machines and at least 20 staff at the baling facilities. The root of the problem is the fact that the non baling of dry waste kept increasing the garbage pile.
RTI information further revealed that there are three baling machines, which had been handed over by GWMC to MMC to handle dry waste between July 3 and July 12, 2019.
The 1st baling machine was provided by Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) through GWMC whereas the second and third baling machines were purchased by MMC from GWMC.
The cost of each baling machine was Rs 4,85,228 (four lakh eighty five thousand two hundred and twenty eight rupees only). The RTI information also revealed that three labourers are required to operate single baling machine and a single bale is approximately weighed at 300-400 kg.
Shockingly, the Solid Waste Management has been paying to transport of the baled waste to the cement plant in Karnataka and is not earning a rupee from the waste sent for fuel for the plant. The MMC however is spending a bomb on labourers and operation cost of baling machines with zero returns.
In this regard, MMC has recently asked Fomento Green to allow them to use the baling machine inside the plant on the bed of garbage dump within the plant. However Fomento denied the same and the machine was later shifted outside to the place where the garbage caught fire. Though the machine was shifted, MMC has not been able to start the machine and tonnes of garbage had started getting piled outside, which is what caught fire on Thursday.
REACTIONS AND SKEPTICISM
Amongst those affected was Manovikas School that had to remain closed during the fire in May. Chairman of Manovikas School, Jose Manuel Noronha, explained that in May and June during the days of the fire, the school had decided not to reopen until the fire and smoke was contained. Thereafter, he added, this was compensated in the holidays, wherein classes were held on Saturdays, which is generally a holiday for the school.
“If only the handling of garbage was done in a scientific manner and not in this haphazard way, the problems wouldn’t have arisen,” said Noronha, who was also the former Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Chairman.
On a different note, MMC has had to shell out crores of rupees, since the May incident and the arbitration matter, which has also evoked strong reactions.
Former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho said, “It is disgusting to realize that the council fails to understand that they should have been questioning the concessionaire over the failure to generate compost from the segregated wet waste supplied to them. Since segregated waste is supplied, and if the company was actually treating the waste, good quality compost should have been ready by now in quite a large quantity. And this compost could easily fetch revenue for the council to make up for the losses.”
Coutinho who is also part of the Shadow Council also questioned the decision to take the remediation route as a solution.
“This remediation is nothing but screening of waste. This could have been done by MMC themselves with the expenditure of 1 or 2% of the remediation cost of Rs. 48 crores” he said.
The Shadow Council also referred to the fact that the screened material will be sent to the cement plant, but questioned whether the screened material, which they argue will be soiled, will be accepted at the plant. They lamented that there has not been proper application of mind regarding the entire process but instead only plans have been drawn up involving high expenditure.
MMC in the dock!
Three months ago, MMC had taken a much hyped resolution to file a petition for the review of the amount of 1 lakh payable to the concessionaire on a daily basis. Till date no such petition is filed. On the contrary, the council has sought an extension of the date, by further offering to continue with the same payment of 1 lakh rupees per day.
Meanwhile, there was a discussion for having bio digesters, or incinerators or bio-methanation plants in various locations of Margao and Fatorda. The plan is still in the pipeline as MMC is collecting all the waste that it can and is sending it to the Fomento plant, which is charging for the services but allegedly not doing any work.
The High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) in October had discussed MMC’s proposal for setting up two bio-methanation plants or bio-digesters to deal with the mixed garbage, collected from around 35 black spots that were identified. The garbage at these black spots is generally dumped by people from the neighbouring villages, which do not have a system to deal with its garbage.
As the dumped garbage is mixed and as it is not possible to dispose it off in a scientific way – hence it was decided to set up these bio-incinerators. However, there is still no sign of these plants.
Now, the HC has come down heavily on MMC and has asked MMC to clear the Sonsodo dump. The method selected is bioremediation, which is going to cost the exchequer dearly. Critics pegged costs to Rs. 45 to 50 crores considering the size of the dump, which is 2.5 lakh tonnes – the figure conveyed to the court. Ironically, the fire on Thursday was triggered by the surveyors who had been sent by GWMC, to confirm the size of the dump.
Recently elected MMC Chairperson Pooja Naik, has informed that MMC has published an Expression of Interest for the setting up of the bio-digester units and that the process will take at least a month. “The Electrical connection NOC for the baling station planned at the Old Fish Market/multi-level parking land has been sought. Once that is received the baling machine will be installed here,” Pooja added.
