Margao municipality alleges arson in Sonsoddo blaze, files police complaint
Team Herald
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MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has formally lodged a complaint with the Fatorda Police, alleging that Sunday’s fire at the Sonsoddo waste management facility was an act of arson. The move follows growing suspicions that the blaze was deliberately set by miscreants.
The complaint, filed by Margao Municipal Chief Officer (CO) Melvyn Vaz, cites observations from fire officials and MMC representatives, who allege the fire was caused by anti-social elements. Highlighting the nature of the incident, Vaz noted that the dry waste stored in the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shed was burning on all sides, raising doubts about natural causes.
“This office strongly suspects this fire to be an act of mischief by miscreants. Considering the current winter conditions with misty nights, the likelihood of such a fire occurring due to natural causes is negligible,” Vaz stated in the complaint. He urged the Fatorda Police to register an offence and conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible.
However, questions remain over the police’s ability to pinpoint the culprits, given the site’s limited surveillance. While the entrance to the MRF shed is monitored by CCTV cameras, the Sonsoddo facility has multiple entry and exit points that are not under surveillance.
The MMC’s decision to approach the police comes after civic chief Damodar Shirodkar expressed similar concerns on Monday, alleging foul play. Shirodkar emphasised the suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire and called for accountability.
Waste mountain grows as municipal machinery stalls
MARGAO: The Sonsoddo waste management site stands as a grimy symbol of Margao’s escalating garbage crisis. Towering mounds of dry waste at the dumpsite reveal a system crippled by inefficiency and bureaucratic delays, threatening the town’s fragile waste management framework.
For the second time in three months, waste transportation has ground to a halt—not from a lack of resources but due to stalled payments and tangled administrative approvals. Municipal trucks lie abandoned in private garages, awaiting repairs delayed by unpaid bills. A frustrated mechanic even threatened to charge parking fees if the vehicles aren’t promptly retrieved. Meanwhile, waste continues to pile up, posing
severe environmental and health risks.
The Goa Waste Management Corporation’s efficient handling of wet waste starkly contrasts Margao’s mismanagement of dry waste. Margao civic chief, Damodar Shirodkar, expressed alarm at the surge in dry waste, now reaching up to 20 tonnes daily, up from an average of 15 tonnes. He ruled out external dumping, raising questions about the sudden increase.
Sonsoddo’s waste heaps have transformed from mere garbage to symbols of negligence—each pile a reminder of missed deadlines, unpaid bills, and bureaucratic inertia. Without immediate intervention, this growing mountain of waste could soon become an unmanageable crisis.
Trash dumped near Fatorda’s
SAG swimming pool catches fire
MARGAO: A fire broke out at a Sports Authority of Goa (SAG)
property near the Fatorda swimming pool, exposing a critical waste management crisis. What was once earmarked for a sports ground has deteriorated into an unregulated dumping zone, scattered with construction debris, green waste, and plastic material.
The site, hastily prepared during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in February for a temporary bus stand, has since become a convenient disposal ground for local contractors and institutions. Eyewitnesses reported thick smoke rising from the location, with tree branches seemingly set ablaze amidst the accumulated waste.
LPG cylinder blast prompts anti-encroachment drive in Rumdamol
P’yat removes 60 illegal structures and stalls to reclaim public spaces, leave access roads clear
Team Herald
MARGAO: In the aftermath of a recent LPG cylinder blast at a local restaurant, the Rumdamol village panchayat initiated an anti-encroachment drive on Monday. The operation stemmed from discussions during Sunday’s Gram Sabha, where members raised numerous complaints about illegal structures.
Panchayat members and the secretary peacefully targeted around 60 illegal encroachments along the village’s main road, including structures positioned on gutters, road shoulders, and setback areas. The drive focused on clearing spaces occupied by fruit and vegetable vendors, mobile shop operators, and other business owners who had been operating without proper authorisation.
Rumdamol panch Saimulla Fanibandh emphasised the importance of maintaining clear roadways. “While the panchayat works for the people of Rumdamol, no one should conduct business activities on public roads,” he stated.
He added that the panchayat had previously issued notices to illegal occupants following an inspection conducted last month, when the panchayat was trying to tackle the issue of traffic congestion created by these encroachments.
Panchayat secretary Sanjeev Naik acknowledged the persistent challenge of unauthorised structures, appealing to the public to voluntarily clear encroachments or face action. During the operation, all 60 identified encroachments were successfully removed, marking a significant step in reclaiming public spaces.
Navelim BJP MLA Ulhas Tuenkar has also called for a special meeting to address the encroachment issue. The meeting will bring together officials from various government agencies to deliberate and develop a strategic action plan for addressing the illegal structures in the village. This comes against the backdrop of concerns as to how these structures including eateries were allowed to mushroom in the way they have.
The anti-encroachment drive follows the recent fire which destroyed an illegal eatery, where two LPG cylinders exploded reportedly due to a gas leak. While two cars were damaged in the fire, people in the congested area escaped unhurt.
