SHWETA KAMAT
Way back in 2009, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) acquired land admeasuring 1, 71,312 sq mts at Bainguinim for the construction of solid waste treatment plant (SWTP). Marred with severe opposition from Old Goa locals, the project managed to win before the “Justice of Law” (High Court) – in the interest of people.
However, the ambitious project- which if had worked out would have handled the waste generated by the Panjim city along with that of Old Goa, continue to remain in limbo surrounded by controversies, and political bottlenecks. With Panjim generating nearly 47-50 tons of garbage on daily basis, the dedicated dumping ground and a treatment facility is the need of the Hour.
However, now with fresh tussle brewing up between the CCP and the Government run Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) over transfer of land, the project is expected to drag further, a delay that could hamper Manohar Parrikar’s dream of making Goa garbage free by 2022.
The land is currently in possession with the CCP and Government wants it to be transferred to GWMC for setting up the modernised treatment facility.
The facility at Bainguinim, initially proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), failed to get the required attention from the successive State governments. During the Congress regime from 2007-March 2012, a subcommittee was dealing with projects under JNNURM. But it never managed to submit a Detail Project Report (DPR) to the Union Ministry for Urban Development.
It was only in February 2014, that the project got a sanction of Rs 90 crore. However, it received a major setback after the Union Urban Development Ministry failed to make a budgetary provision for the project under the scheme in 2015-16, Government failed to utilise the first instalment of Rs six crore received in 2014-15 financial year. The allocation wasn’t made even though it had approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
The Urban Development Ministry had directed the State to make a fresh proposal for sanction under the new rules of Urban Development Mission as and when launched.
As the delay would had push back the project even further, the CCP, the nodal agency for the solid waste management project decided to set up the plant on a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) basis in lines with the modernised solid waste treatment plant at Saligao. The project, estimated at the cost of Rs 150 crore, will handle 250 tonnes of waste daily and will cover the entire Tiswadi taluka. The funds would be raised from the Union Ministry of Urban Development along with a contribution from the state under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
“The capital city needs an integrated garbage treatment plant. We have wasted a lot of time but now with increasing waste generation, a proper treatment facility is the need of the hour,” City Mayor Surendra Furtado admits.
