Use Sada to dispose waste, not as landfill site: HC to MMC
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 16
The Bombay High Court at Goa today ordered the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) not to carry out a landfill site at Sada, while allowing them to go ahead with their garbage disposal process.
The Division Bench comprising of Justice A S Oka and Justice F M Reis further directed MMC to go into the inspection report conducted by Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and take necessary action as and when needed.
The court directives came after Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) pointed out that the landfill site at Headland-Sada is in gross violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 1991. And accordingly inspection was carried out by GCZMA.
GCZMA in its report cleared that the said place is not suitable to carry out a landfill site; however, MMC can go ahead with the garbage disposal process at the said place.
MMC has constructed treatment plant at Headland Sada in 14,000 sq mt area, which was allotted to them by the State government.
The court has said that MMC can go ahead with the existing process of garbage disposal at the allotted area till further directives.
Meanwhile, MMC told court that they had never opted for permission from GCZMA for setting up of landfill site at Sada.
MPT had stated before the court that the patients, doctors and staff of MPT Hospital are unable to even breathe due to the continuous entry of smoke and fumes into the hospital. The nearby MPT residential colony and the Customs Colony are equally badly affected.
Since many years now, MPT has been making attempts to persuade the MMC and the district authorities to relocate the garbage dump and composting unit away from the MPT hospital and the residential areas.
Meanwhile, lawyer representing MMC brought to the court’s notice that every hospital should have a landfill site so as the MPT hospital.
“If the hospital is having a landfill site then it too must be in violation of CRZ or they must be illegally dumping it,” he stated.
As such, the Division Bench directed MMC to file a fresh application over the issue.
