Team Herald
PANJIM: Days after mooting the idea, the State government has decided to take the reigns of the Sonsoddo dump in its own hands.
The High-Powered Committee on Sonsoddo decided to hand over the reigns of Sonsoddo dump to the Solid Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) following the willingness shown by Fomento Company to exit.
As per the decision the State government will hand over the site to Goa Waste Management Corporation which will start operating it within 3-4 months, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
Sawant chaired the High-Powered Committee meeting on Sonsoddo, alongwith Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai, which reviewed the situation at this oldest garbage dump after the fire incident.
Sawant said that the State government has decided to hand over the site to Goa Waste Management Corporation which will start working on new systems in next 3-4 months.
“We will work out new system with Waste Management Corporation,” he said.
Fomento, which has been holding control over the site since 2011, has shown its willingness to exit from Sonsoddo.
Sardesai said that the company has written a letter to Margao Municipal Council showing their
willingness to exit from the project. “It is not we that are asking them to go, the company wants to quit the project,” the deputy chief minister said.
“They are citing Concessionaire Agreement signed in the year 2011 before Dr Pramod Sawant. The agreement was signed in November 2011. We have inherited this issue and we are trying to solve it,” he said.
“This is something which we have inherited and not something which is a creation of ours,” he repeated.
The company had signed agreement with MMC in 2011.
Sardesai said that the State government will leave no stone unturned to ensure permanent solution to the Sonsoddo dump.
“Government has done all possible things. We need help from the people. We will not make people suffer. Whatever they have suffered, we are saying sorry to them. We are asking them to have some patience,” Sardesai said.
Sardesai said, that there is sentiment of the people that only segregated garbage should come to Sonsoddo. We have given directions that only segregated garbage should come to Sonsoddo.
