The Corporation of the City of Panjim’s (CCP) long pending plan to have its own solid waste treatment plant to treat the garbage generated in the capital city, looks to be a distant dream considering that the work of setting up of a treatment facility at Bainguinim is yet to kick off and political indifference is restraining government from going for a facility at Taleigao, as proposed by MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate.
Moreover, the Corporation’s focus on implementation of the Smart City Mission, kept the crucial issue of expediting the garbage treatment facility both at Bainguinim and behind Heera Petrol pump, on the back bench.
During the March 2016 corporation election, the Monserrate backed panel led by Mayor Surendra Furtado assured Panjimites that a state-of-the art garbage treatment and disposal facility spread over 25,000 sq mtrs at Taleigao plateau, which can be utilized for treating waste from Taleigao and Panjim would be set up. However, three months down the line, the promise has remained on the manifesto paper, as the government is paying no heed to it.
“The proposal was never taken seriously by the government. Monserrate and I met the Deputy Chief Minister, Francis D’Souza with the idea. He requested us to send a proper proposal through the directorate of municipal administration (DMA), which never happened so far,” City Mayor Surendra Furtado told Herald.
“The DMA and CCP waste management cell is not at all serious about the issue as they still want to go ahead with the Bainguinim plant, which was planned in 2009,” he stated.
The Mayor alleged that the CCP’s keen interest towards making Panjim a smart city, forced itself to keep the burning issue of garbage on hold. “Even the facility behind Heera Petrol pump is pending due to lack of support from the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation,” Furtado informed.
It has been learned that the government wants the Taleigao panchayat to transfer the 25,000 sq mtrs of proposed land to the CCP, as the area is not part of the corporation.
When contacted, CCP Commissioner Deepak Dessai said that corporation has already acquired land at Bainguinim for setting up of the facility which will be done through funding from the Central and State government under the Swacch Bharat Mission. “The environment impact assessment study has begun. We have land of over one lakh sq mtrs there,” he said.
Working towards keeping his promise given to the Panjimites during the polls, Monserrate had even invited a Holland-based Company, PEZ India who made a detailed presentation to officials of CCP on the garbage management technology for the city.
