Plans by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to acquire more land from the Saligao Comunidade for expansion of the buffer zone around the garbage treatment plant (GTP) at Saligao has been opposed by Congress block committee members from Calangute, Candolim, Saligao and Pilerne. Congress workers along with North Goa Congress president Virendra Shirodkar on Wednesday met with officials of the GWMC at Saligao and handed over a memorandum opposing the expansion plan. Talking to reporters at Saligao, Congress workers said: “They have written to the Saligao Comunidade for land for a buffer zone, but what is the guarantee that the land will not be used for further expansion of the GTP? This talk of a buffer zone is an eye-wash.
The Saligao panchayat has already opposed the land acquisition and the Gaunkars of the Saligao Comunidade have also opposed giving any more land to the GTP. When the GTP was built, it was 100 tonnes capacity and was supposed to be only for the Bardez coastal belt, but now garbage from Mormugao, Ponda and everywhere else is being brought here. The capacity has already increased to 250 tonnes.
There cannot be any more expansion.” Pointing out that people from Saligao and the surrounding villages of Calangute, Candolim and Pilerne are opposed to any further expansion of the plant, the Congress workers said there is no clarity on the planned buffer zone. “They're saying the buffer zone will be 200-500 metres around the plant which means a large part of the village will go to the plant after which all the garbage from Goa will be brought here. As it is, the stench from the plant is unbearable.
The people do not want any increase in garbage vehicles or capacity to increase,” they said. “This is a scam to take comunidade land,” Saligao Comunidade members who were present said, adding, “95% of those present at a special meeting of comunidade last Sunday opposed the land acquisition plan. But the managing committee refused to adopt a resolution opposing the plan”. Digvijay Chawan, the SWMC general manager, said there are no plans to further increase the plant capacity. “The capacity is 250 tonnes with a buffer of 50 tonnes because during the season the garbage increases,” he said