MARGAO: With no solution to the Sonsoddo dump yard issue in sight, in a shocking revelation, it has come to light that the ‘A’ Class Margao Municipal Council (MMC) spent nearly Rs 11 lakh just to transport the wet waste from the State’s commercial capital to the waste treatment plant at Saligao for a month.
Till date, money from the municipal fund has been used for transporting the waste. MMC has planned to continue it for another 45 days for which e-tender has been already finalised and the municipality will issue a work order to the party concerned soon.
Upon strict monitoring by the High Court and with no waste management action plan in place, the MMC has been forced to transport on an average, 27 tonnes of wet waste to Saligao waste treatment plant since July 13.
The issue also witnessed discussion at the recently concluded Goa Legislative Assembly session.
According to MMC sources, there are three trucks dedicated to transport the wet waste from the town to Saligao plant, on a daily basis.
This exercise commenced on July 13. Each truck makes a single trip daily to Saligao carrying a total average waste of nearly 27 tonnes. The cost of each trip is Rs 11,800 and the total amount paid to three trucks is Rs 35,400 per day. Hence, the MMC is burdened with Rs 10, 62,000 for the last one month only to transport the waste from Margao to the Saligao plant.
As the next hearing before the High Court approaches, the civic body has planned to extend the exercise for another 45 days for which it is in process of issuing the work order after completing the required procedure, sources informed.
Now, Margao residents said that the MMC treasury is just getting empty on unnecessary expenditure such as transportation of waste at the time when MMC is already short of revenue.
MMC’s former chairperson Savio Coutinho said that it is all about making hay while the sun shines and described it as making wealth out of waste.
“The civic body and all the unscrupulous brokers are making the best out of High Court directions. We have time and again highlighted how public funds are looted in the guise of waste management. But instead of any measures to curtail the siphoning of public funds, more and more new schemes get added,” he alleged.