CURCHOREM: The Curchorem Solid Waste Management Facility (SWMF) at Cacora will be named after former Chief Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar as the “Manohar’s Dream Project for Garbage Management.”

This was announced by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after laying its foundation stone in the presence of Environment Minister and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar, Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar and others.

Speaking further, he said that it was Parrikar’s dream to create more scientists from Goan soil and to make Goa garbage and poverty free. He added that it was why he had implemented different social sectors schemes for the benefit of the public so that it reaches every nook and corner of the State.  “We must preserve our identity and work to maintain cleanliness as our State is a tourist destination. Problems of garbage will not be solved by setting up many plants. It’s everyone’s duty to prevent waste generation,” said Sawant.

Criticising the opposition, Lobo said the previous govts made various foreign trips to various countries by spending public money to study the garbage treatment plants but never made efforts to set it up and only submitted reports of their visits sans any follow-up action. “We went to Germany and Italy and brought this German technology - Rs 173 crore project, which will be completed within 15 to 16 months, said Lobo, while adding that 25% will be borne by the contractor.

“We must set up our own environment friendly factories to burn bales of waste instead of sending it out of State in order to dispose the RDF/SCF to cement factories for co-incineration. Our government is serious in providing a clean environment to people and that is why we will complete all the three projects by 2022 at Cacora, Sonsoddo and in North at Bainguinim” said Lobo.

Cabral strictly warned the neighbouring municipalities/panchayats talukas of Quepem, Sanguem, Dharbandora and Canacona not to send the garbage directly to this plant once it’s completed but to segregate and keep it at their own respective premises, which would be collected by the company’s vehicles. “On the 16 thousand square meters rooftop of the factory, provisions have been made to produce 500 KV power,” he added. In order to meet the requirements, he had requested them to use the entire rooftop to generate more electricity. Cabral further thanked the local people for supporting him to set up the plant on time, claiming that otherwise it would have become another Sonsoddo in Curchorem.