HC petitioner criticises MMC, local MLAs for delays in addressing Sonsoddo mess

MARGAO: Roque Mascarenhas, the petitioner in the Sonsoddo-related High Court (HC) matter, slammed the State government, Margao Municipal Council (MMC), and the MLAs of Margao, Fatorda, and Curtorim for failing to meet the deadlines set by the HC.

Mascarenhas, who is considering filing a contempt of court petition, questioned whether MMC will be able to meet the overall deadline of December 2024 for completing all works, given the onset of the monsoon.

He criticised MMC for blaming others for the delays, noting that MMC had even attributed the delay to a meeting that was supposed to be convened by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who heads the High-Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) on Sonsoddo. Mascarenhas questioned why the Chief Minister had not convened the meeting and why the three MLAs connected to MMC—Margao, Fatorda, and Curtorim—could 

not intervene to ensure that the meeting took place, or get the necessary files cleared by the Chief Minister.

He noted that the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) is also a respondent in the matter.

Mascarenhas, who is from Curtorim, emphasised that the people of his village and Raia are affected by the stench emanating from the Sonsoddo dump. He mentioned that his petition, filed around five years ago, led to the removal of the dump but stated that much more needs to be done.

Mascarenhas expressed hope that the authorities will act with more urgency and avoid further delays in completing the tasks.