Team Herald 

MARGAO: Admitting that Fomento Green is not handling Margao waste properly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government would take over the Sonsoddo plant and assured Margao Municipal Council (MMC) all possible support including financial aid in dealing with the waste.

Speaking to media persons in Margao, the Chief Minister admitted that Fomento Green has failed to deal with the waste properly and added the government has accepted its offer to shutdown the operations.

“While the matter concerning the amount payable to Fomento Green will continue with the arbitration board, we are now planning to inform the court at the next hearing that we want Fomento Green to hand over the plant to us,” he said.

Stating that an expert agency would deal with the waste at Sonsoddo, he said, “The Goa Solid Waste Corporation along with Directorate of Municipal Administration in consultation with MMC will decide on the agency to deal with the waste.”

“We are considering setting up small plants to deal with the wet waste as the dry waste will be baled. We have already selected the shed where the baled plastic waste will be sent,” he said and informed that Sonsoddo issue was discussed by him with MMC chief officer and advocate.

It is learnt the Solid Waste Management Corporation is likely to take over Margao waste management as soon as Fomento Green hands over the shed to it and the two small plants to deal with wet waste are expected to generate CNG, which will be used by some municipal vehicles.

Dr Pramod said, “The government will extend all help to MMC to deal with its garbage including financial help to pay Fomento Green their charges.”

Meanwhile, Shadow Council for Margao (SCM) convener Savio Coutinho said it was indeed lamentable that Fomento Green, which was always complaining about getting mixed waste, has actually stopped handling the waste when MMC started supplying segregated waste.

He said with the Solid Waste Management Corporation getting ready to take over Sonsoddo plant, hopefully people’s woes would end and reiterated his objection to paying Fomento Green Rs 1 lakh per day for handling its waste.

Councillor Ketan Kurtarkar welcomed the decision to have Goa State Waste Management Corporation operate the Sonsoddo plant and thanked the Chief Minister and Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo.