SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The prolonged monsoon for the two consecutive years from 2019, coupled with COVID-19 imposed lockdown delayed the work of installing individual household bio-digester toilets to around 18,990 beneficiaries in the State.
This information was provided by Minister for Waste Management Michael Lobo to the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Lobo said the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) had set one-year deadline to complete the project; however the same could not be achieved.
“The individual household construction works were affected due to heavy prolonged monsoon experienced in 2019 and 2020. The works had to be suspended during the lockdown imposed in the State to restrict spread of COVID-19 pandemic,” Lobo said responding to a question tabled by MLA Rohan Khaunte.
“Works of installation of toilets in Tiswadi taluka commenced in January 2021. However, the same got further delayed due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Tauktae Cyclone and subsequent rains,” the minister added announcing a deadline of two years to complete the project.
Lobo informed the House that the Directorate of Panchayats, the nodal agency, initially forwarded list of 17,150 beneficiaries and in second list forwarded 1,840 beneficiaries, taking the list of beneficiaries to total 18,990.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed bio-digester toilets will be installed across State. The total cost of the project is almost Rs 110.49 crore and the price of each toilet is Rs 58,184.
Lobo said the Bio-Digester based toilets were considered, as during monsoon, at some location the ground water table rises and there is possibility of incursion into open tanks and in case of other technology-based toilets, which could affect groundwater quality.
The superstructure of the toilets installed is of RCC, the bio-digester tank is of FRP and the treated effluent from bio-digester tanks is released in soak pits.
