Team Herald
MARGAO: Based on the complaint filed by the Citizens of Margao and Fatorda, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) officials on Wednesday inspected the dumping site near the District Court and collected samples of the waste dumped by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) around two weeks ago.
Last month, the bio-remediation contractor engaged by the GWMC to treat the legacy waste at Sonsoddo had dumped hundreds of truckloads of waste into the low-lying field near the District Court. This dumping of waste invited strong criticism from the public, with protests being held at the site demanding action against the dumping. The stench from the dumped waste emanated across a one- kilometer
radius, and the citizens
under the banner of the Shadow Council for Margao (SCM) filed complaints before the GSPCB.
“We had even submitted three samples of the dumped waste for testing, to confirm the presence of hazardous materials. We came across various types of unconfirmed waste, including huge chunks of plastic, which was proof enough to suggest that even the screening of waste was not properly done, leave aside any remediation at Sonsoddo,” said SCM convenor Savio Coutinho. On Wednesday, two samples were collected by GSPCB officials Samir Borkar and Nishta Lolyekar, in the presence of GWMC and MMC staff. Articles like shoes, syringes, batteries and plastics were also found, disproving the statements made by the Margao MLA and GWMC MD, defending the bioremediation work.
