Team Herald
MARGAO: While appreciating the fact that the emission of smoke at Sonsoddo had stopped on World Environment Day, Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardessai said a long term solution to the dump site is much needed and indicated that bio-remedial segregation may be commenced once the monsoons are over.
He said he has asked the Margao Municipal Council to respect people’s demand and send only segregated waste at Sonsoddo and said this should start immediately. “While they are collecting segregated waste from the wards in Fatorda the same has to be done in Margao also either through the same agency or some other agency,” he said.
He acknowledged that Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation will have a tough task at Sonsoddo given the fact that the land size is a quarter of the land they operate on at Saligao and said Fomento will continue to be handling the waste till the agreement is officially terminated.
“We have to talk to Fomento Green and Audhut Timblo as there are many issues that need to be addressed including what Fomento Green did since the agreement was signed till the time the solid waste management rules were notified,” he said adding that Fomento Green’s claim for interest on interest is also another niggling issue.
He pointed out that when the agreement was signed in November 2011 it was for treating mixed waste and the concept of segregated waste came into effect only when the Solid Waste Management Rules were formulated in 2016.
Replying to a question he said the enzyme failed to act at Sonsoddo as due to the fire it could not reach the place it was supposed to reach to douse the fire and said there are many technologies available to treat accumulated garbage dump yard that he insisted has to be treated.
“We need help now when we are in trouble rather than people coming later on with solutions after we have prepared the ground work,” he said implying that he is open to ideas on how the dump site can be dealt with.
While admitting that there are various technologies available like bio-mining to generate compressed natural gas or burning the accumulated garbage by alpha heat to generate fly ash that can be used to prepare bricks.
“What is important is that the dump yard has to be treated and got rid off and we cannot afford to continue neglecting it as has been done all these years,” he said.
