Much like the fire that spontaneously ignited at the garbage dump site towards the end of a hot summer, the issue sparks off at regular intervals, drawing strong positions from all stakeholders. Unfortunately, the issue simply remains burning, with no resolution forthcoming. Will there finally be a solution to the growing garbage dump – nay hillock – at Sonsoddo? The dump is decades old, the authorities have been seeking solutions to it for years, but the answer to the garbage and the stink at this spot has been elusive. There have been promises made, some efforts put in, but Sonsoddo stubbornly refuses to yield to the labours of the authorities.
The latest of the promises for Sonsoddo is that a waste management plant, akin to the one in Salinas, will be built after demolishing the existing plant at the site. This is not an entirely new proposition, but when so many other projects have failed, it has to be given a chance in the hope that it will bring about a permanent solution to the problem. This promise was made by the Waste Management Minister, whose immediate plan for the dump is remediation of the waste, wherein the residue will be sent to a cement factory.
But will this be allowed to be achieved? Finding that elusive solution to the garbage problem will, however, be no easy task and could turn into a prolonged process neatly tied up in red tape, that in turn could create a little more waste.
There is one thing that the Minister said that makes sense – what Sonsoddo needs is solutions, not politics being played. If he manages to clear the mound of garbage then he will have proved that he is above politics. It has been the latter that has been keeping Sonsoddo from getting solved. The entire visit of the minister was politicised, with barbs traded a day prior to the visit and some more after the visit. This will not solve the issue. It will just keep the issue festering as the garbage in the dumps keeps rotting, with another fire always a possibility as gases build up below the tonnes of garbage.
For the sake of clearing the dump at Sonsoddo, and given the area a green look and a clean environment, all stakeholders – MLAs, municipal councillors, panchayat members and the residents of the area – have to come together to find a solution. Finally what is required is clearing the site of the garbage, and this can be achieved only if all have the same aim and are on the same page.
Whatever the manner of tackling it, Sonsoddo and the garbage issue in Goa cannot be allowed to remain unattended. Landfills are not the answer to getting rid of garbage, especially not of unsegregated waste, the type that can be found at Sonsoddo. Unfortunately, dumps have turned out to be the most common of garbage solutions, perhaps because they are the easiest manner of disposing garbage. But the waste cannot be allowed to rot in the dump. It has to be treated. Today the dump at Sonsoddo is taller than any of the buildings in its vicinity. Who can envisage what can happen if it is not tackled?
The smoke billowing from the dump in June and hanging over the neighbouring village of Curtorim should be a reason for all to come together and ensure that the dump is cleared a quickly as possible. The monsoon is coming to an end. Work on the dumps should have started early next month, instead there are still plans being made of what can be done at Sonsoddo. The monsoon months have been wasted, which could have been utilised for planning and the backroom work. But now, there is no longer any time to lose.
