PANJIIM: As the fire at the Sonsodo dump site once again raised the issue of the safety of people, the High Court of Bombay (HC) at Goa on Friday directed the authorities to utilise the identified alternative site admeasuring 5,000 sq mtrs for temporarily storing Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) till April 2020.
The division bench of Justices M S Sonak and C V Bhadang also directed that the work of remediation at the current dump site, proceeds immediately and in any case, not later than December 15, 2019. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has been asked to deposit with Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) Rs 1 Crore within seven days from December 6, so that, the work of the landfill site can commence immediately.
During the hearing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Citizens for Sonsodo, the court also observed that fire incidents at the Sonsodo garbage site will pose a severe threat to the environment and the health of the residents in the locality if immediate measures are not undertaken. Advocate General (AG) Devidas Pangam however assured the court that all measures have been taken to curtail the raging fires. In the latest incident, Pangam said that fire has been brought under control even as smoke is still emanating from the site.
“As we hear the arguments in this petition, fires are raging at the Sonsodo dump site. The apprehensions expressed by the petitioners in this petition, unfortunately, have come true. We refer to these fires only to emphasize that the situation of really grave emergency, has arisen at the Sonsodo dump. Unless immediate and coordinated efforts are undertaken by all concerned, the Sonsodo dump will pose a severe threat, not just to the environment but also to the health and life of the residents in the locality,” the bench noted.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, various agencies as well as the counsel for the parties have spent considerable time in attempting some solution. The court has appreciated the efforts, in the order passed thereafter.
By consent of the counsel for the parties, the bench passed an interim order directing that a plot of land admeasuring 5000 sq mtrs bearing Chalta No.8 of PT Sheet No 284, Margao, belonging to the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) which has been identified, be used for temporary storage of the RDF, initially, till April 2020. The GWMC shall assess the situation by April 2020 and decide the further course of action as regards to the place of storage.
Considering the urgency of the situation, the court directed the MMC to forthwith barricade the identified area from 2:30 pm on Friday. The timing was given as assured by the outgoing Chief Officer of MMC Siddhivinayak Naik, who was also present in the court. The officers from GWMC as well as from GSUDA were directed to be present at the site at 2:15 pm “so that, there are no excuses on the part of the MMC to commence with the barricading operations.”
“The landfill site at Sonsodo will be used temporarily for storage of inerts, again, initially, till April 2020. By then, the GWMC will assess the situation and decide further course of action to be adopted. The GWMC shall do the testing of inerts. The hazardous waste, if any, will however, have to be sent to the secured landfill site at Pissurlem, Sattari. Efforts will also be made to use the non-hazardous inerts for backfilling road constructions, etc,” the bench ordered.
In view of the dispute between the MMC and one of the respondents in the petition, inter alia, the landfill site; the court stated that without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both the parties to such dispute, the repairs to the landfill site as suggested by the GSPCB shall be undertaken by the GWMC so that the site complies with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Furthermore, the six-page order states that GWMC should endeavor to complete this work as expeditiously as possible and preferably within a period of 30 days from Friday, December 6. MMC has also been asked to deposit with GWMC Rs 1 crore within seven days from December 6, so that, the work of the landfill site can commence immediately.
The bench also accepted the AG’s statement that the compost generated during the remediation operations at the Sonsodo dump will be used as manure in municipal gardens, farms of the State’s Agricultural Department, etc.
“In the meanwhile, the landfill site, as it stands, will be used for storage of inerts. However, such storage will be after the site is covered by a tarpaulin. At the end of each day, the inerts so stored, will also be covered by tarpaulin. According to us, these measures will have to be adopted so that the work of remediation proceeds and at the same time, there are no serious issues of pollution. We direct that the work of remediation at the Sonsodo dump site proceeds immediately and in any case, not later than December 15, 2019,” the court order adds.
The court has also appointed the Managing Director (MD) of the GWMC as nodal officer to coordinate with the other agencies like MMC, GSPCB, GSUDA, etc so that, there are no unnecessary obstacles in the remediation at the Sonsodo dump site.
The matter has now been kept for the next hearing on December 20 for which, GWMC has been directed to submit its status report.
