Panjim’s garbage: Festering wounds, no treatment

SHWETA KAMAT
shweta@herald-goa.com
Despite the government proposing garbage treatment plants, a segregation facility and a dumping ground, almost six years back, a lot has still to be done in the City as most projects are not functioning and those that are functioning, are doing so not very efficiently.  
Way back in 2009, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) acquired land admeasuring 1,71,312 sq mts of land at Bainguinim for the construction of solid waste treatment plant (SWTP). In the very same year, it also acquired 3,600 sq mts for segregation and treatment facility behind Heera petrol pump, near Kadamba bus stand.
The opposition for both the projects that lasted up till mid-2013, forced the civic body to dump its garbage waste in Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate-ruled Taleigao plateau.
Panjim on an average generates 70 tons of garbage every day, which is dumped at Taleigao, Patto Plaza, (treatment plant) and at various compositing units.
According to CCP statistics, a total of 130 compositing units are present across the city.
Bainguinim: Rs 90 crore sanctioned, Rs 6 crore released, but only a compounding wall made.
It is a year-and-a-half since the High Court gave green signal to Government for going ahead with the Bainguinim plant despite the opposition raised by the locals. But the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is still in process of constructing a compounding wall for the project.
This is despite the fact that the project has to be completed by 2015 as per the Central Government norms.
CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado, in February 2014 managed to get the detailed project report of the treatment facility approved from the Union Urban Development Ministry, and got sanctioned Rs 90 crore for the project under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). This is first instance where the CCP has managed to get funds for SWTP under JNNURM.
The first installment of the project worth Rs six crore has already been released by the Union Ministry. CCP, the nodal agency for drafting projects under JNNURM, had in May submitted its proposal on Bainguinim plant, for tendering and execution to the GSIDC, considering that the Corporation had no technical experts to implement these vital projects.
Funds were sanctioned five months ago and it was mandatory for work to commence within 17 months of sanction.
Furtado said that there is a clause in the agreement with the Central government that the work linked to the funds as sanctioned for the city’s solid waste management under the JNNURM, should start within 17 months, from the date of sanctioning of the related amount. “It is really sad that almost five months have passed since the amount was sanctioned, and the work is yet to begin,” he noted.
Heera petrol pump segregation and treatment site also a slow starter.
CCP’s proposed site for treating the garbage, which is located behind the Heera petrol pump, at Patto is also yet to kick off. The site also saw controversy surrounding it, after the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG) and civil right groups opposed the proposed development, claiming that the facility is been in an area marked as No Development Zone in the outline development plan or ODP 2011.
“We have recently started the work of the plant. It will take time. It’s basically a treatment cum compositing unit,” CCP Assistant Engineer Sachin Ambe said.
Locals throw water of opposition of Patto Wet Waste Plant: The Rs two crore wet waste treatment plant at Patto Plaza, which commenced somewhere in 2012, has not been welcomed by the people living in and around areas, especially the residents of Mala who complained about the stench and odour emanating from there.
The continuous opposition by locals and opposition corporators had forced co-opted corporator Patricia Pinto to resign, as she claimed that the garbage there was scientifically well managed.