Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vijai Sardesai inspected the work to clear the garbage at Sonsoddo on Tuesday evening.
The machine which was transported from the Saligao treatment plant to Sonsoddo via a trolley truck commenced its operations to clear the garbage at the site on Monday.
Speaking to the media after inspecting the work, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said, “The machine will screen the mixed garbage at the dump and segregate it into compost, plastic and inert waste, which will later go into the landfill. The dump consists of over a lakh tonne of garbage and will certainly take time to clear.”
Sardesai said, “We had promised that we would tackle the Sonsoddo garbage and we have accorded first priority to the work as Salcete locals have been troubled by this dump for many years.”
Speaking on the schedule and process of the entire work, Sardesai said, “We have started the process and it takes around 40 tonnes an hour and there are two garbage hills here. One is more than a lakh tonne of garbage. There is another fresh garbage mound. We have planned to go on a war footing to clear the garbage. At the current rate and with one machine, we will be able to clear only 10,000 tonnes of garbage which is not enough.”
When questioned whether the GSIDC will be able to complete the work, he said, “I have spoken to the Chief Minister and have also asked the officials to clear the leachate sump below. People were troubled due to the garbage and we have attempted to solve the problems before the monsoons.” “We have cleared the “political garbage” in the elections and the work is as firm as the Government which is working for Goans,” he added.
“At the rate of 15,000 tonnes a month and excluding monsoon period we can reduce 70 per cent of the dump soon,” Ganeshan, the project consultant informed.
Ganeshan further informed that the Govt is entered into an agreement with ACC cement company, wherein at a later stage the site will also receive plastic waste.
