Team Herald
MARGAO: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sidhanath Buyao while raising various questions over the black-hole technology sought to be used to deal with the Sonsoddo garbage dump, appealed to Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai to leave aside political differences and call for a meeting of all stakeholders to find a final and lasting solution to the problem that has been irritating people for decades.
He also asserted that the Goa State Pollution Control Board or the Department of Science and Technology be given the responsibility of dealing with the Sonsodo garbage dump yard instead of trying different experiments.
Maintaining that capping is no solution, he said the leachate which is primarily black water has started flowing down the drains and has not only polluted the wells in the area but also threatens to pollute River Sal where it ultimately goes.
He lamented that Vijai Sardesai was neither answering his calls nor returning them as he has been constantly trying to call for a meeting to find a lasting solution to the issue.
Pointing out that he was present for the presentation made by the proponents of the ‘black-hole’ technology, he said the technology raised more questions than provided answers. He pointed out that the proponents have clearly stated that the garbage will have to be first segregated before being treated.
“They have admitted that metal, construction debris and glass will not be treated by the technology and will have to be segregated first and this will raise the cost of the project,” he said pointing out that the project at present is estimated to cost around Rs 21 crore.
“In the case of the Timblo project too, the cost went on increasing and I wonder whether the same will be repeated in this case too,” he said and pointed out that the proponents have not mentioned anything about trying the technology on a trial basis for 15 days as tweeted by Vijai earlier.
Sidhanath also pointed out that the proponents of the company which has got an USA patent does not use the technology in USA and the two places where it is being used in India is only on trial basis. “The company says in another 60 days they will be operational in 50 places, so let us wait for two months and see how it works in those places,” he said.
“There is enough of RND done over Sonsoddo by various agencies and it is now time for real experts to break their head over it and which experts are there with the GSPCB,” he said.
asserting that the Goa State Pollution Control Board would be best equipped to deal with the problem.
He also demanded to know what happened to the High Powered Coordination Committee set up to deal with Sonsoddo and whether this committee has submitted its report.
