Trouble mounts for Sonsoddo dump

NT NETWORK

Margao   

The Fomento  Green, which has been operating the  waste treatment plant at the Sonsoddo dump, on Monday stopped accepting the  waste from the Margao municipality, as the plant has been chock-a-block with refuse. 

Consequently  vehicles  filled  with garbage were seen parked at the Sonsoddo waste site  and  the Old Market  garage. As garbage was not accepted for handling at the dump, roadsides were seen littered with  waste.  S Pai Raiturkar of the Fomento Green said  that they  stopped accepting the waste from the municipality as the plant has been chock-a-block with rejects or the waste which could not be handled.

“There is around 1000 tonne of  refuse, which  has to be cleared by the MMC within 48 hours. Moreover, there is  no space at the plant even for segregated waste. The MMC has failed to clear the rejects,” Raiturkar explained.

The Fomento Green’s decision to  turn away  the garbage vehicles forced MMC chairperson Babita Prabhudesai  and chief officer  Siddhivinayak  Naik to rush to  the site for holding talks with  Fomento officials.

Sources said that Prabhudesai and Naik could not give in writing to the Fomento Green assuring that the municipality  would cart away the  rejects from the plant.

The civic body is now in a piquant situation: it does not know what to do with the rejects. Councillors and officials are mulling making some spaces at the dump to put the rejects from the plant, so that the  waste generated  daily in the city could be handled at the plant.

“There is no space at the plant for more waste.  Officials from the   Solid  Waste Management Corporation and the DMA saw it when they visited the plant  on  Friday.  The MMC has  started sending  segregated waste, but there is no space even for that,”  Prabhudesai said  after meeting the  Fomento officials. 

Nevertheless, at a  council meeting  held on Monday  evening, the  chairperson  assured a solution by Tuesday.

“I cannot reveal you the  solution. But there will be a solution by Tuesday,”  she calmly said.

Sources said the city fathers   have been waiting Deputy  Chief  Minister Vijai Sardesai to return from his foreign tour.