The Old Goa panchayat, than local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar (now Minister in BJP government), Church body and locals had raised strong objection to the project, with panchayat even declining to grant permission for it.
The opposition for the projects lasted up till mid-2013, until High Court gave its green signal to Government for the project. Now, with MLA being part of ruling dispensation, the project seems to have smooth sailing.
“We don’t have any objection to the project now as the Government has explained us in detail the kind of treatment facility it intends to come up with. We have also seen the Saligao waste treatment plant, which is a great success,” Madkaikar said.
“We had initially objected as the locals were not taken into confidence, nor the CCP was in position to explain the kind of facility it proposes to come up with,” he said.
The Goa State Infrastructure Corporation (GSIDC) was earlier roped in to build the facility. However, despite Court’s approval, it failed to undertake any work in absence of funds.
As per the Union Ministry for Urban Development sanction in 2014, the project was supposed to be completed by 2015, failing which the sanctioned amount of Rs 90 crore would be diverted back.
“A 250-tonne garbage treatment plant has been proposed at Bainguinim. In the coming days, the project will be tendered and a plant like the one at Saligao will come up. Many people are scared of the words ‘garbage treatment’. I invite them to go visit the plant at Saligao. The facility is cleaner than a factory. There is no dirt or stink there. It will help improve health and cleanliness,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had told media recently.
