MARGAO, JUNE 12
A visibly upset Fatorda MLA Damu Naik on Saturday questioned the Margao Municipal Chief Officer for keeping him in the dark over the recent inspection of the Sonsodo dump yard.
The MLA reminded the Chief Officer Y B Tawde that he is a member of the House Committee constituted to solve the garbage issue and demanded to know why he was not informed about the Sonsodo inspection.
Accompanied by the BJP-backed Councilors Narayan Fondekar and Raju Shirodkar, the MLA inspected the site and interacted with Fomento Chief Executive Officer Shridhar Kamat.
Kamat explained him the various precautionary measures taken at the dumping site in view of the ensuing monsoons and the future plans chalked out by the Company at the site.
During the interaction, the MMC Councillors said that garbage from a Betalbatim resort finds its way at the Sonsodo site. Councilor Raju Shirodkar pointed out that the truck-load of waste from the resort is first dumped in the Municipal bins near the Metropole area and later collected and disposed off by the Margao Municipal vehicles.
Replying to a question, Naik expressed his satisfaction over the precautionary work carried out at Sonsodo, but suggested that the agency collect water samples of drinking wells adjoining the dumping site during the monsoons.
He asked the MMC CO to ensure that work at the site is monitored by the Civic body on a daily basis and demanded that the Civic body take the concerned councilors into confidence on the issue.
The Fatorda MLA reminded the Chief Officer that there should not be any encroachment on private property adjoining the dumping site and called for expediting the land acquisition process to acquire additional land for the waste dumping.
