MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council, the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), local political leaders, and other officials visited the Sonsoddo dump yard on Friday, to deliberate on the ongoing works and implement the action plan and guidelines issued by the High Court. The visit was conducted to take stock of the remediation of the legacy dump and ensure that the civic body expedites the process.

During the joint inspection, Managing Director of GWMC Levinson Martins, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar, discussed various issues pertaining to the construction of proper roads, tanks to store leachate, and handling of the daily waste generated in the jurisdiction of the civic body.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, MLA Kamat stated, “We are here not to seek publicity but to see to it that results are given. The road here has been completed. Out of a total of five, the construction of three tanks for storage of leachate has also been completed and the remaining two tanks will be constructed very soon.”

Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco expressed concern over the Sonsoddo issue and stated, “I have been raising my concerns on the Sonsoddo issue for the last several years. I am not doing politics but aim to resolve the issue completely. We have discussed the legacy dump and waste being generated on a daily basis.”

He accused his detractors of turning the environmental hazard into a political issue, and appealed to them to come up with solutions so that the town’s garbage problem can be resolved permanently. “After visiting the site, I am convinced that the work going on is in the right direction,” he said.

The officials decided to hold regular meetings to review the ongoing works and ensure that they are completed on time. Margao Municipal Council has already submitted their action plan to the court, and the court has also asked for a timeline for the completion of the work.