Team Herald
MARGAO: After a public meeting over the burning Sonsoddo dump yard, more than 500 people marched peacefully to the dump yard demanding its removal by shouting slogans like “Amkam naka Sonsoddo yard”, “Say no to Sonsoddo yard.”
The villagers also questioned Additional Collector Agnelo Fernandes why no case has been filed against the Margao Municipal Council for endangering their lives and also posed a few questions on when the fire will be brought under control.
Earlier at the meeting held a little away from the dump yard, various speakers spoke about the hardships they have faced for the last one week since the fire broke out. They demanded that a thorough enquiry be conducted on the cause of the fire and that stringent action be taken against the one responsible for starting it.
Rupesh Shinkre, while appreciating the good work done by the Fire Services personnel, revealed that the Goa State Pollution Control Board chairman told him that the fire broke out because of the excess heat created due to the delay in pre monsoon showers.
While demanding that a thorough enquiry be conducted on who was responsible for the fire, he demanded that stringent action be taken against the one responsible and urged the people to segregate their waste while at the same time give up using one time plastic.
Dr Marlindo Rebello said the old and the children would be the worst affected and said that even pregnant women should be careful as the noxious gas inhaled could adversely affect the foetus in the womb.
Roque Mascarenhas while demanding a judicial probe into the cause of fire and criminal action against the ones responsible also demanded that the ambient quality of air in the vicinity be made public as there are already monitors placed to test it.
Sarpanchas of Raia and Camurlim were also amongst those who spoke and they told what problems they face due to the dump yard which does not accept any waste from them.
Curtorim ZP member Moreno Rebello wondered why no case is filed against the Margao Municipal Council for accepting mixed waste as the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 clearly mandate that only segregated waste should be collected by the municipal body or panchayats.
He demanded that a complaint be lodged against MMC and Fomento Green for the mess created by them as Fomento Green had an agreement that stipulated that they would accept mixed waste and at the same time reduce the garbage dump existing.
Rui Menezes opined that the garbage management was a fraud which was evident by the fact that the dump yard has grown instead of reducing and wondered by MMC Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai who lives in Maina was not present for the meeting.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said while he has supported the government in all efforts to rid Sonsodo it has not worked and gave a call for removing the dump yard once and for all. He also wondered how experts like the Fire Services agreed to “an experiment of using an enzyme” to douse the fire.
While asserting that there should no longer be any mixed garbage coming to Sonsodo as that adds to the dumpyard, he said he would raise the matter in the Assembly and also suggested that approaching the National Green Tribunal should be thought of.
