ANIL SHANKWALKER
PORVORIM
While the State government is firm on setting up the Garbage Treatment Plant (GTP) at Saligao-Calangute plateau, members of the Saligao Civic and Consumers Cell are equally determined in their fight against the project.
The foundation stone for the GTP project was laid by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on November 21, 2014, in the presence of Union Defence Minster Manohar Parrikar. The Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is executing the project through its contractor, SMC Infrastructure Private Limited from Thane-Mumbai. SMC has won the contract to build two such GTPs, one at Calangute-Saligao and the other at Cacora in South Goa.
The Rs 146-crore GTP project at Calangute-Saligao is scheduled to be completed within 18 months and the contractor will invest the entire amount in building the plant.
As part of the project, a 10-metre wide approach road has been developed by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.
“The GTP at Saligao-Calangute has a capacity to treat 100 tonnes of garbage per day. Garbage collected from Saligao and Calangute constituencies will be treated at this plant. Work on the pillars at the GTP will be constructed by GSIDC and thereafter, SMC Infrastructure Private Limited will construct the plant by investing its own funds,” Calangute MLA Michael Lobo told Herald.
“The State government will pay this amount to SMC over a period of 10 years and the entire operation of the plant and its maintenance will be looked after by the company,” said Lobo.
Hitting out at opposition to the project, Lobo justified the need for the GTP on grounds that garbage woes have been haunting the State for the last several years.
“I have been insisting on the formation of a garbage corporation as there should be a dedicated cell to address and tackle garbage in the State. Currently there is opposition to every project in Goa. Garbage needs to be tackled on a priority basis. Electricity generated at the Saligao-Calangute GTP will be utilized to run the plant, besides there will production of manure too,” said Lobo.
Some residents at Saligao said they have been raising strong objection to the proposed GTP, after claiming that the proposed plant was in contempt of a high court order of 2003, which had opposed the setting up of any waste treatment plant at the site.
“The villagers had even proposed an alternative site on the same plateau, 700 metres away from the proposed site above the Salmona Hill. Since a well-known industrialist has purchased huge comunidade land for a housing project adjacent to the site suggested by the Saligao Civic and Consumers Cell, the government is not interested in setting up the garbage plant at that site,” informed a resident.
Noted architect Dean D’Cruz, a member of the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell, said the Department of Science and Technology (DST) had accorded prior environment clearance to the project and had directed the Project Proponent to submit a site-specific Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report to the DST by February 15, 2015.
“In practice, environment clearance is supposed to be issued by the DST only after receiving the EIA report. Further, the quarry is hardly 200 metres away from the Salmona Spring and the landfill is in a quarry, which is unscientific and it will lead to effluents flowing into the spring and well,” said D’Cruz.
“The government is not prepared to discuss the issue. Hence, the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell has decided to approach the High Court to address our grievance,” said D’Cruz.
