Bedlam in Cortalim gram sabha over garbage treatment plant
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CORTALIM, OCT 24
The contentious issue of garbage treatment plant dominated the Cortalim gram sabha on Sunday with a section of the villagers vehemently opposing the proposed site near Meta Strips.
When the issue came up for discussion, the villagers particularly from Consua led by Agnelo Fernandes opposed the site saying it would pose hazard to the villagers living down the valley.
“We are opposed to the site. I had long back sought land for building houses for the poor people of the village and for having other recreation facilities for the villagers,” said Fernandes and showed proof in support of his statement.
Some villagers also wanted to know the need for the garbage plant when people were disposing their waste in their own yard.
However, Sarpanch Anthony Miranda maintained that the garbage disposal site had to be identified as per the requirements of the High Court since otherwise the panchayat would be held guilty of contempt of Court and could also be fined.
While stressing that the site would be used only for garbage generated from the village, he informed that earlier the panchayat had identified one more site for dumping garbage in Vollant-Cortalim.
“However, the site is only 5,000 sq mtrs. We also require place for the plant for treating garbage which will not be sufficient,” the sarpanch informed the villagers.
As the argument continued which were sometimes heated, one Tome Carvalho said that as for now the garbage issue is not very serious and the discussion could be put off.
What created a flutter in the gram sabha was the sudden interruption by former sarpanch and Panch Caitano Xavier.
Xavier, who is under public scrutiny for having allegedly built a single storey house illegally at Quelossim and against whom a petition was filed, told the sarpanch tersely not to mislead the villagers on the garbage site.
While Xavier continued with his arguments, the sarpanch told him to remain quiet and to allow him to continue with the gram sabha.
6-LANE HIGHWAY: On the highway issue, the residents demanded that the highway should be restricted to 30 meters, which is already been acquired by the government.
On the other hand, the villagers maintained that if 30 meters was not sufficient, the only other alternative for the government was to build a flyover at 1st Arvale and spare the houses from demolition.
Earlier, the Cortalim parish priest exhorted the devotees to attend the gram sabha and participate in the proceedings. The vicar also informed that a garbage treatment plant in the village was needed in order to keep the village clean.
