TEAM HERALD
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
PANJIM: The government will finalize a technology and a contractor to set up ultra-modern mixed waste treatment plant at Bainguinim, that would not give off stench ‘even a metre away from the plant, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to the discussion on demands for grants for the Directorate of Municipal Administration, the Chief Minister, who was replying to the concerns raised by members about garbage in cities, said that his government was tackling the problem of garbage in ‘mission mode’
“Even if it smells one metre away, I will close down the plant,” Parrikar said, convinced that the technology he would adopt would be such that it would not create a nuisance to anybody in the vicinity.
He said the plan would have a sufficient buffer of trees between the actual plant and that the entire plan would have a landfill site for the residual waste, which would comprise not more than 15% of the total waste the plant would handle.
Parrikar said that the plant would cater to Tiswadi taluka and the central zone of the state, while another two plants — one for the north and another for the south — would be set up in time to come.
Parrikar also said that he would continue government’s drive of picking up garbage dumped by the roadsides and that it would now also extend to Major District Roads (MDRs) from Highways.
Parrikar lamented that the cities were becoming more like slums.
On the issue of encroachments on government land, Parrikar said that he would be tabling a bill, if possible in the current session of the assembly, “We will impose stiff penalties of up to three years in jail. Those who encroach on government, comunidade and agricultural land should face severe punishment,” Parrikar said, hinting that June 15, 2000 would be the cut off date of all illegal constructions.
Parrikar said that the bill would also make it illegal for a scrapyards to be located in a city or a village and that there would be special zones demarcated for them.
“If there is a scrapyard in the city or along the highways or in villages, they would be removed and a stiff penalty including that of imprisonment on who violates the law,” Parrikar said.
