Team Herald
PANJIM: The garbage dump behind Heera Petrol Pump in the State capital went up in flames early Monday morning and firefighters fought to douse the blaze till late evening.
While the exact cause of fire at the Garbage Treatment Plant, Patto, is being inquired into, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) lodged a complaint with Panjim police station suspecting foul play behind the incident.
It was at around 6.52am that the Fire Control Room received a call informing about the fire after which three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. A senior officer, who along with 10 firefighters was part of the firefighting team, told Herald that at least 70,000 litres of water were used to put off the flames.
“As of now, 70,000 litres of water have been used. All three fire tenders are being refilled and are returning to the site to douse the flames. The fire is not completely extinguished till now,” he said, amidst fire fighting exercise at around 6pm.
No casualties have been reported, however, the JCB machine stationed at the site besides other equipment were gutted in fire.
It is learnt that the security guard was absent from the site at the time of the incident, bringing him under the scanner. The fire personnel had to break open the gate to enter the premises to douse the fire.
Panjim Mayor Uday Madkaikar and CCP Commissioner Sanjith Rodrigues visited the site in the afternoon, to take stock of the situation. Expressing concern about the incident, Madkaikar, however, allayed apprehensions over garbage collection. He assured that garbage collection will not be affected.
“The total loss is yet to be estimated but roughly, the loss could be around Rs 30-40 lakh,” he added. The Mayor also pointed fingers at the security guard who was not present when the fire broke out. “We have lodged a complaint with the police regarding the incident and the security guard is also handed over to them for inquiry,” he said.
The Commissioner said they will take up the issue of the absence of the security guard. “The security guard was missing. We will take the issue with the security agency, which is government empanelled, and also find out whether this happened in his absence. In the police complaint, we have sought to investigate all the angles including suspected foul play,” Rodrigues said, adding that the existing legacy waste will be shifted to an alternative site in the next two-three days.
Panjim MLA Atanasio Monserrate, on being questioned by the media about the incident, said he was awaiting a report from the CCP Commissioner on the cause of fire.
