Team Herald
BICHOLIM: Tensions flared amongst the villagers at Barazan, Kudchirem village in Mayem constituency, opposing the proposed Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste processing plant, which villagers apprehended was a solid waste management (SWM) plant in their village amidst heavy security.
Hundreds of villagers marched to the site where the land survey was taking place to stop the proposal even as local MLA Premendra Shet categorically told them that the preliminary survey work will not be stopped.
He tried to pacify the crowd by informing them that the plant was for processing of C&D waste processing plant, but people were not ready to accept any explanation. The villagers said that they were opposed to setting up of a proposed plant.
The agitated villagers clashed with police, who were deployed there in large numbers. The police also detained some villagers and later released them at the police station.
It was informed that in 2019 the government acquired 40,000 square metres of land at Kudchirem to set up a C&D waste processing plant by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC). On Thursday, GWMC officials along with Bicholim Mamlatdar Pravin Gawas had gone to the spot to carry out preliminary survey work. But the locals opposed the, stating that the proposed plant would create nuisance in the village even as the officials tried to convince them that C&D waste was an inert waste which could be reused or recycled. But the villagers were in no mood to listen to them.
On getting the information, Mayem MLA Premendra Shet rushed to the site and tried to pacify the peeved villagers in vain.
He told them that the ongoing survey work will not be stopped and allayed their fears that it was not a solid waste management plant but C&D waste plant.
He appealed to the villagers not to get misguided and assured them that he will be with them if they faced any problems due to the proposed plant.
Later, MLA along with the sarpanch and panchayat members of Kudchirem met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who too told them it the land was acquired for the proposed C&D waste plant and that no biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste would be treated there.
He said that the lease holders would also be provided alternate land.