Team Herald
PANJIM: The ongoing tussle between the Saligao villagers and the government over the expansion of the waste treatment plant took an ugly turn with the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) on Wednesday sending back 22 sewage tankers from the treatment plant at Tonca.
CCP took this stand after Saligao villagers stopped trucks with wet garbage coming from Panjim. Mayor Uday Madkaikar said 22 tankers that arrived at the plant at Tonca were sent back by CCP.
Madkaikar, addressing a press conference, said that on Tuesday and Wednesday CCP had sent 10 trucks to Saligao treatment plant but they were stopped and not allowed to enter the treatment plant. “This wet garbage transportation process has been going on for years. Late Manohar Parrikar had told us that the plant will allow 10 tonnes of garbage from Panjim and 5 tonnes of garbage from Taleigao,” Madkaikar said.
Madkaikar said that even Panjim MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate had a meeting with Calangute MLA and Waste Management Minister MLA Michael Lobo. “Lobo told us that we can send trucks till the problem is solved. Also, Jayesh Salgaonkar had told us to send our trucks,” he said.
Madkaikar said that garbage created in Panjim is not just of Panjimites. “Panjim is the capital city and people come from everywhere eat food here. This wet garbage is not only of Panjim people, it’s of people from other places,” he said.
Madkaikar said, “After they stopped out trucks, in retaliation CCP has returned 22 sewerage tankers that used to stand in line at Tonca, Panjim. We also warn that we will not tolerate this as every day around 100 sewerage trucks come to the Tonca plant area and during the season this increases to 120 to 130 trucks per day,” he said.
Madkaikar said that people in Tonca and Panjim are also complaining about sewage trucks due to foul smell and tanker parking on the road. “The tankers can explode anytime as it carries gas, people of Tonca are living in danger,” he said.
Taking a potshot at former MLA Siddharth Kuncoliencar, Madkaikar said that in the name of Smart City, the earlier MLA brought crores but did nothing for wet waste. “The former MLA and the CEO are responsible for mess in Panjim,” he said.
He threatened that till the garbage issue is settled, sewage trucks will not be allowed at Tonca plant.
