Editor, Goemkarponn
AERIAL VIEW
Clearly, the people of Saligao and the Village Panchayat, are to be blamed for the current crisis as they agreed to the government assurances that no expansion would be allowed and only waste from North Goa would be handled.
On this backdrop, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant makes a controversial comment that the plant will handle 30 metric tonnes of waste from Sonsodo daily. Why?
What wrong have the people of Saligao done to you, Mr CM? Why can’t the people of Margao, who have gulped crores of rupees down their throats for waste treatment, handle their own waste? What action has been initiated against the company and MMC for failing to handle the waste of the city?
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
What is the Status of Cacora plant? Why is it not starting
Around seven years ago, when the State of Art Waste Treatment plant at Saligao was inaugurated by the then CM late Manohar Parrikar, it was said the plant would only cater to the villages of Saligao, Calangute and North coastal areas.
But as time passed, within months, tonnes of waste from North to South Goa started piling up at the plant, which could only handle 100 tonnes per day (TPD), making it impossible to handle the waste.
Another issue was segregation, the machine could not take the mixed waste and the panchayats, and the municipalities did not want to spend money on waste segregation at source. This led to the waste being dumped at the plant, resulting in a foul smell in the evening every day.
Not only this, the waste-carrying trucks did not have proper cover and litchette tanks, resulting in waste littered throughout the road and the lichette stench everywhere in Saligao.
The people of Saligao are already suffering from the stench. People staying in and around the plant near Salmona Springs etc., are even facing health issues due to the nauseating smell.
The age-old spring (Salmona) water is contaminated due to the litchette flowing in.
So why should Saligao bear this stench?
Agreed, the land where the plant is installed belongs to Calangute Communidade, but the fact remains there is no road to the plant from Calangute for carrying waste on trucks. So the trucks make their way through Saligao.
Technically, the plant is in the Saligao plateau, and people will agree it is Saligaocar are the worst sufferers.
Clearly, the people of Saligao and the Village Panchayat, are to be blamed for the current crisis as they agreed to the government assurances that no expansion would be allowed and only waste from North Goa would be handled.
On this backdrop, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant makes a controversial comment that the plant will handle 30 metric tonnes of waste from Sonsodo daily. Why?
What wrong have the people of Saligao done to you, Mr CM? Why can’t the people of Margao, who have gulped crores of rupees down their throats for waste treatment, handle their own waste? What action has been initiated against the company and MMC for failing to handle the waste of the city?
So does this mean the High Powered Committee on Sonsodo was a waste of time and a total failure? The entire committee members must resign and hand over responsibility to someone else.
Your government gave an assurance in the High Court that Saligao will handle the waste, but do you know by doing this, Saligao will turn into another Sonsodo? The plant here has already failed as it cannot handle its own waste.
Another question that arises is what has happened to the Cacora plant? Why is it not starting? The plant was to start operations in 2022, but to date, there is no update why it has been delayed.
What has happened to the Bainguinim plant? It is non-started as people are opposing. Just because the people of Cacora and Bainguinim are opposing, their entire waste will be dumped in Saligao.
Is Saligao the dump yard for the Goa government?
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