MARGAO: Panic prevailed at the bustling commercial area behind the Margao Municipal building when a large pile of garbage and coconut shells caught fire at the proposed multi-level parking site, exposing deficiencies in the Margao Municipal Council’s (MMC) waste management system.
The blaze also destroyed several dustbins, revealing that the garbage, which was supposed to be segregated, was not being managed appropriately. The MMC had been utilising the open area for segregating dry waste collected from black spots around the town.
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Damodar Shirodkar, Chairperson of MMC, told reporters that the cause of the fire was not ascertained yet. Shirodkar admitted that the garbage dumped at the site was dry waste in the process of segregation. “I have instructed officials to clear the garbage dumped here, as well as at several other black spots within the jurisdiction of the Margao Municipality,” added the Chairperson.
Former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho expressed frustration, stating, “We still don’t understand what magic words are used in the submissions of the Council before the High Court that convinces the court into giving favourable orders .” Coutinho appealed to the High Court to take serious cognisance of the repeated fire incidents, which expose citizens to toxic fumes while also polluting the environment.
He provided figures indicating that the Council spends Rs 1.50 crore on waste management monthly, while the monthly waste generated is around 1,500 tonnes. This translates to an expenditure of Rs 10,000 per tonne, raising concerns that need to be addressed by the HC. “Instead of issuing fresh construction licenses and occupancy certificates, we would call upon the HC to order the suspension or dissolution of the MMC.”
