MARGAO: Under pressure from the High Court (HC) to speed up the ongoing bioremediation process at the Sonsoddo legacy dump site, government officials have conceded that the unseasonal rains have caused yet another delay.
It may be recalled that the HC had recently pulled up the Goa Waste Management Corporation and the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) for having missed several deadlines for completing the bioremediation work.
Terming the Sonsoddo legacy dump a serious health hazard, the HC had directed the GWMC Managing Director (MD) and MMC Chairperson to clear the legacy dump before February 28, 2023, and had said that it would hold GWMC and MMC responsible for non-compliance with these directions.
However, GWMC MD Levinson Martins explained that the unseasonal rains in October, post the monsoon, had forced the work to come to a halt on multiple days. He added that rains in general had disrupted the work at Sonsoddo.
Martins however added that there is a review going on of the status of the work so far and what is left to be done. He further stated that a detailed report would be submitted to the court in that regard.
There have also been complaints from the Shadow Council for Margao (SCM) citizen group about alleged flaws in the bioremediation work.
