TEAM HERALD
PONDA: Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza has said the State government plans to install Organic Waste Convertors (OWC) in every municipal council in the State, to resolve the growing problem of garbage disposal.
D’Souza was speaking after inaugurating PMC’s garbage disposal facility, where three organic waste convertors, each having a capacity of 1.5 tonnes, have been installed at the basement of the new market complex.
According to information, PMC has purchased three OWCs estimated at about Rs 1.25 crore and soon another such machine will be installed.
“Garbage and parking are the two major issues that need to be tackled on priority basis. PMC must be congratulated for having such a facility and government’s efforts will be to introduce similar module in other municipal council in the State,” said D’Souza.
He said further, “For parking, PMC must identify place and decide whether to have vertical mechanical parking facility. Government will built infrastructure, but such facilities have high maintenance cost and people should not hesitate to pay for using it,” said the deputy chief minister.
PMC Chairperson Dr Radhika Nayak said it is a temporary place in basement of the new market complex where the machines are installed and these will be shifted once the permanent place is ready.
“There is a wrong notion among people that garbage plants are polluting, but by installing machines in the market, we aim to persuade people and show them that these organic waste convertor machines treat wet garbage effectively,” said Dr Nayak.
On the occasion, Councillor Irwin Soares was felicitated for being elected unopposed as vice president of Volleyball Federation of India and Councillor Venkatesh Naik was also felicitated for his initiative to solve garbage problem in the town of Ponda.
Minister for Cooperation Deepak Dhavlikar, Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar, Law Commission Chairman Adv Narendra Savoikar, PMC councillors and a large nunber of citizens were present on the occasion and took part in the demonstration.
