SUNDAY, MAY 05, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes on Thursday said Urja Bio Systems Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based company, which has been awarded the tender to set up the bio-methanation plant at the South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s (SGPDA) retail market in Margao, has commenced the work and the plant is likely to be installed on April 19,
The company has already dumped the required civil material and at the same time is dismantling and cleaning the area where the plant will be installed. All the material and equipment required for the plant have been dispatched from Pune and are expected to reach Margao by Saturday.
It may be recalled that after the meeting of the High Powered Co-ordination Committee chaired by the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on February 22, 2021 it was decided to install only one bio- methanation plant with a capacity to deal with 5 tonnes of garbage a day.
Depending upon the efficacy of this plant, a decision would be taken on setting up the other two plants at the SGPDA market. The present plant that is being set up at Rs 2,40,87,262.50.
It may be recalled that the setting up of bio methanation plant to deal with garbage in Margao has been mired in controversies and there has been much debate on the number of plants to be set up. Initially, the quote was around Rs. 2.5 crore, the outgoing council suddenly considered another quote which was nearly for double the amount.
However, protests from various quarters stalled that plan and the issue came up after the council was dissolved. The chief officer argued to set up only one plant and depending on its performance would decide the future course of action.
This argument was accepted by the High Powered Co-ordination Committee in the presence of Chief Minister, Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo, Leader of Opposition and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai.
