Team Herald
MARGAO: Locals from various villages of Nuvem constituency have hit back at comments made by Nuvem MLA and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira that the opposition to the proposed waste treatment plant at Verna has only sprung up now, after he got elected.
The villagers pointed out that they have been raising this issue since 2017 and there are a number of letters, correspondence and details of meetings held with all the authorities concerned regarding their opposition to the plant.
They also showed a letter that was sent to the Nuvem MLA two years ago on May 4, 2022, which also had the signatures of numerous residents who had raised this issue.
They shared this document to counter the statement given recently by the MLA to media persons, that no one had approached him about the issue.
They also shared clips of how the MLA had raised the issue about the plant and the land allocated, in the Assembly, when he was the Congress MLA.
“Why are repeated attempts being made to cast aspersions and discredit this public movement against the garbage treatment plant which could be disastrous for the environment? The focus is unnecessary being shifted to this, rather the issue at hand,” said the villagers.
The locals who had recently submitted a memorandum with their demands to Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate reiterated that there are various environmental concerns, due to which they had suggested the alternative solution of decentralised garbage management in individual villages – instead of the Rs 250 crore plant. The citizens argue that a decentralised model will not only be cost-effective but will also provide more localised control over waste management, ensuring that the unique needs of each community are addressed.