MARGAO: Considering the pressing issue of garbage menace and the inadequate waste treatment measures in place, Minister for the Public Works Department, Nilesh Cabral, is of the opinion that Margao urgently requires a separate, comprehensive waste treatment plant instead of relying on waste transfer to other facilities.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Independence Day function held at the South Goa District Collectorate Complex, he emphasised that local bodies have faltered in waste collection and stressed the necessity for the concerned department to address this matter seriously.
The Margao Municipal Council is grappling with a garbage crisis due to the absence of a proper waste treatment mechanism for the day-to-day waste. Presently, large volumes of wet waste are routinely transported to the Saligao waste treatment plant.
When questioned about the practice of transferring wet waste from Margao to the Saligao treatment plant due to the lack of suitable facilities in Margao, the Minister pointed out that Margao had once been a pioneer in establishing a garbage treatment plant. However, he mentioned that the focus has since shifted.
“Today, we have set up a garbage treatment plant at Kokoda, with expectations to cater to waste from four talukas: Darbhandorda, Quepem, Sanugem, and Canacona. The government will assess whether these four talukas can manage with a plant at Kakoda. I have communicated to the Chief Minister and the concerned minister that waste from this taluka will be handled in my constituency,” he explained.
Cabral also highlighted that, except for a few, most panchayats have informed the government of their minimal wet waste production. He expressed the view that Margao specifically requires a comprehensive waste treatment plant with a capacity of 100 tons, similar to facilities in Saligao and Kakoda.
He disclosed that there was a proposal for a waste treatment plant in Verna, which faced opposition from the public. Despite his constituency contributing less than 20 percent of waste generation, Cabral ensured the establishment of a treatment plant there. However, he noted that the Saligao treatment plant is overburdened, although it boasts well-established waste treatment technology.
Cabral called upon the government to ensure that every panchayat and municipality initiates waste collection efforts. “Local bodies have failed in this process and my department is not responsible. The concerned department needs to check why the panchayat and municipalities have failed pertaining to collection of wet waste,” he said.
