Team Herald
MARGAO: On day 8 of the Sonsoddo fire, the Curtorim villagers yet again stopped the garbage plying trucks and stuck to their demand of only allowing segregated waste.
The people of Curtorim have gone ahead and filed a complaint against the Margao Municipal Council for violation of Solid Waste Management Rules, Air Pollution and also Right to life. The town and surrounding areas had begun smelling by evening as the garbage couldn’t be picked till Monday.
By evening, the team at the Sonsoddo had begun dumping the mud on to the slopes of the huge dump which was emanating smoke from scattered fires till night. The problems are not just being faced by the people but also the fire personnel. One of the fire personnel Sandesh Naik who was working as a Driver Operator complained of breathing problems and was admitted in hospital. He was then discharged after brief treatment.
The effect of the stopping of vehicles of MMC carrying garbage to Sonsoddo has caused inconvenience to all the wards of MMC. 240 litter bins used to collect garbage from door-to-door were left unpicked on Monday as the compactors and garbage vehicles never made it to the spot. People who have already been complaining of smelly water from compactors leaking onto the streets are now left with tonnes of garbage in their locality. The Director of Municipal Administration Tariq Thomas, who was at the site, inspected the dump. However, no authority communicated any status report of the work to media but it was being informed that at least 500 trucks of mud were already dumped on to the smoking garbage.
Rui Menezes, Sarpanch of Curtorim said, “The machinery at the plant is not working. The mixed waste coming to the site is left untreated and is dumped into the dump. We won’t allow this to go on.”
Meanwhile, the Zilla Parishad Member Moreno Rebello and Sarpanch of Curtorim have filed a police complaint at the Fatorda Police Station against Chairperson and Chief Officer of Margao Municipal Council and others for being allegedly responsible for the Sonsoddo fire and the misery caused due to the same. The complainants have warned of taking the matter to the highest appellate for justice. They have also addressed the same complaint to the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
