08 Sep 2017 | 05:32am IST
Charmed by Saligao plant, Gadkari to suggest more such facilities
Suggests to CM that instead of generating power, bio-CNG should be produced at plant
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Government’s year-old garbage treatment facility at Saligao-Calangute plateau has attracted the attention of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who will be urging his ministerial colleagues and MPs to replicate the model in their States, which aims at ‘conversion of waste into wealth’.
“Goa is a clean State. If something has attracted me the most here it is the garbage treatment facility. I will appeal to MPs and cabinet ministers to replicate this,” Gadkari, who was in Goa, said in presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
“I have suggested to Parrikar that instead of generating power, bio-CNG should be produced. The same can be used to run buses,” the Union Minister said.
He said he has urged Parrikar to encourage public transport run on electricity, bio-fuel and CNG to reduce pollution. “Conversion of knowledge into wealth and conversion of waste into wealth is the future of the country,” he stated.
Earlier, Gadkari said that projects worth Rs 20,000 crore have been sanctioned to Goa, which includes Asia’s upcoming attraction the second bridge over River Zuari.
Gadkari, who is also Minister for Shipping said, by October end the cruise service from Mumbai to Goa and vice-versa would be launched.
Speaking about his new Ministry, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Gadkari said that five big projects connecting rivers will begin in next three months at an estimated cost of Rs 50,000 crore. “The project of river connectivity was always close to my heart and I used to discuss it with Vajpayeeji (former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee),” he said.
“The project to take water from Ganga to Kaveri was deliberated about in the country. From the time I took over the reins of this ministry I have decided to start five big river
connectivity projects costing Rs 50,000 crore within three months. I have got an opportunity to fulfill the dream of Vajpayeeji,” he said.
On irrigation, the minister said that the Centre wants to spend Rs 80,000 crore in five years. Gadkari said work on development of inland waterways in Ganga and Brahmaputra is going on. “It would be completed by 2018. It has 40 river ports,” he said.