TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Ever increasing waste, coupled with improper labour management has forced the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to outsource waste management to a private player. The solid waste management facility at Patto and Panjim Market, and the door-to-door commercial waste collection operations will be outsourced shortly.
The civic body is also contemplating the possibility of treating the city waste at the proposed solid waste management plant (SWM) at Calangute, until the treatment facility at Bainginium is completed.
The Corporation in its ordinary meeting held Friday evening, resolved to outsource the processing and treatment of SWM facility at Patto and Market along with door-to-door waste collection from commercial units to a private party through e-tendering process.
“The performance based contract system will help in providing best services to the public as well as utilization of the staff, especially the technicians employed in the waste management cell, in other important activities and strengthening the corporation in other areas which are equally important,” CCP Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues told corporators during the meeting. The issue cropped up as the corporators complained of garbage menace and the bad management of the Patto treatment facility.
Rodrigues said that the SWM activities such as sweeping, door-to-door collection, processing, treatment, sorting, etc has been carried out by the Corporation employees, which includes regular employees and daily wage workers. “The activities are highly labour oriented. Every year there is increase in the number of residential as well as commercial units leading to increase in waste generation and constant pressure on the existing facilities,” he said adding that the corporation is currently in the process of constructing a third shed for garbage treatment in the city.
The Commissioner admitted that the absenteeism and labour management is one of the biggest problems being faced by the CCP’s waste management cell. Lack of skilled personnel in handling the system is also one of the issues affecting the entire management, he added.
Corporators were informed that the treatment facility behind Heera petrol pump is getting ready, but the Commissioner could not update them on the status of Bainguinim solid waste treatment plant. Deputy Mayor Kabir Pinto Makhija and corporator Shubham Chodankar sought to know whether the Panjim waste could be treated at the SWM plant proposed at Calangute. “We are exploring the possibility,” Rodrigues said.
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Corp to bill govt for handling Exposition waste
CCP has decided to charge the State government for the arrangements made and manpower deployed to deal with solid waste generated during the 44-day Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa. The Government has notified that Old Goa zone as CCP zone during the Exposition, where half a million devotees are expected to converge.
“The corporation is required to do general cleaning of Exposition venues and undertake solid waste management. The Exposition would provide an opportunity to CCP to contribute in promoting one of the best systems of waste management, further strengthening the Corporation’s ability to manage the proposed treatment facility at Bainguinim,” the resolution placed before the Corporators reads. Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues said that just like they will charge ESG for managing the waste during the 10-day IFFI, they will also charge the government for services offered at the Exposition. “This will help in generating revenue,” he said. The resolution was passed unanimously.
