Team Herald
PANJIM: With the bioremediation of legacy waste at Sonsoddo almost complete, the State government has now decided to set up a 15 tonnes per day (TPD) capacity biomethanation plant at the dumping site for waste treatment. The facility is set to come up within the next 12 months. Bio-methanation is a process by which organic material is microbiologically converted under anaerobic conditions to biogas.
The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday chaired a High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting on solid waste management at Sonsoddo. The meeting, held after a gap of almost two years, was attended by Minister for Urban Development Vishwajit Rane, Chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation and Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai. The next meeting is likely to be held in July.
Speaking to mediapersons post meeting, Sawant said that bioremediation of legacy waste is almost complete and is being monitored by the Bombay High Court at Goa.
Sawant said that the meeting resolved to set up a 15TPD biomethanation plant at Sonsoddo for waste treatment. He said that the project will be funded by Margao Municipal Council (MMC) while the Goa State Waste Management Corporation (GSWMC) will provide all the technical support including floating of tender and execution of the work.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will monitor the execution of the project; Sawant said adding that the plant will be set up within 12 months.
The Chief Minister said that of the total waste landing at Sonsoddo, 10 tonnes is transported to the Saligao waste management plant for treatment, while 5 tonnes are sent to the biomethanation plant at the SGPDA market, Margao. “Currently there is a problem in handling around 15 tonnes of waste, which will be taken care of, once the plant is made operational,” he said.
As per the information, of the total 35 tonnes of wet waste landing at Sonsoddo every day, 90 per cent arrives in segregated condition. Of this, 10 tonnes are transported to the Saligao waste management plant for treatment, while 5 tonnes are sent to the biomethanation plant at the SGPDA market, Margao. The remaining 20 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste gets deposited in the shed at Sonsoddo for treatment.
Stating that the Sonsoddo dump is being monitored by the High Court, the Chief Minister said that all the conditions put by the Court such as setting up of leachate tank, construction of shade, retaining wall, etc will be completed by MMC by June 30.
