By Marcellus D’Souza
Apr 26: Moreno Rebello, Curtorim Congress leader today locked horns with former Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco and current MLA in the presence of Minister for Waste Management Atanasio Monserrate over the Sonsoddo garbage dump issue.
Rebello alleged that Aleixo Reginald Lourenco is sleeping over the issues as an MLA and the Sonsoddo garbage dump issue concerns the people of Curtorim. “The fire burnt at Sonsoddo are a serious health issue to the people of Curtorim and the MLA from the constuency is sleeping. Aleixo Reginald Lourenco lacks responsibility and does not respect the voters as he has fallen prey to money offered by the government”.
Aleixo Reginald Lourenco said, “Moreno Rebello has to study the issue of Sonsoddo garbage dump properly before shooting his mouth. Moreno Rebello should have come with solutions rather than add to the problem already exisiting”.
Aleixo Reginald Lourenco said if he was sleeping he would not be elected MLA by 8960 votes. “My people know my capability and I have assured them to find a solution to the Sonsoddo garbage dump issues as soon as possible”.
The Minister Atanasio Monserrate assured that the best solution will be found to the Sonsoddo garbage dump issue requested for time to study the problem. “The government will find an amicable solution as soon as possible. I assured both parties”, Atanasio Monserrate said.
Michael Lobo, Leader of the Opposition, MLA from Calangute and former Waste Management Minister had earlier said he had tried his level best to solve the issue of Sonsoddo dumping grounds. The politicians have to first agree to bring a settlement to the issues that Sonsoddo face.
Lobo said he had even put the recommendations on the fast track but did not succeed because of vested interest and change of government. He himself had switched parties from the BJP to the Congress.
“The four MLAs should sit with CM Pramod Sawant and ask for “a high powered Committee to arrive at a solution”, emphasised Lobo.
In the recent past the Sonsoddo dump has caught fire twice. The massive fire triggered anxiety amongst locals. Fire officials cited short-circuit of a 33 KV high tension line passing above the dump area as the cause of fire, which further got intensified due to presence of presence of methane gas under the waste heap.
It took almost six to seven hours to extinguish the fire. Fire tenders from Margao, besides, Ponda, Cuncolim, Curchorem and Verna were called to douse the fire. Deputy Collector, South Prasad Volvoikar besides Chief Officer, Margao Municipal Council Agnelo Fernandes, Chairperson Lyndon Pereira rushed to the site upon being informed about the fire.
Although, Sonsoddo finds mentions in the manifestos of most candidates who contested the Assembly polls nothing concrete has been done to solve the Sonsoddo issue, now that the elections are a thing of the past.
The Sonsoddo landfill site has a history of fire outbreaks. Yet no solution has been found or is there a solution in sight to deal with this vexed issue. The blame game continues amongst the concerned departments and politicians.
The fire brought back memories of the previous blaze that engulfed the area in May 2019. On Monday, May 27, 2019, the Sonsoddo waste treatment plant and dump in the city of Margao caught fire. The flames were as tall as an eight-storey building. The Mumbai-based firm Tranquiil Speciality Products (TSP) Pvt Ltd stepped in to use an enzyme to stop methane formation at the site and control the fire.
The spontaneous combustion at Sonsoddo was caused due to the continuous bacterial activity that was going on there, as wet waste was mixed with the dry at the site, due to non-segregation of waste at the source.