By Marcellus D’Souza

Apr 27: Atanasio Monserrate, Goa’s Waste Management Minister announced a comprehensive solution to the Sonsoddo imbroglio, promising to bring about a turnaround to the vexed issue in 18 months.

“The bio-digesters planned at Sonsoddo will be like a mini-Saligao plant run by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC),” assured the minister. “The entire solid waste management at Sonsoddo will be taken over by the GWMC. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) will only look after the door-to-door waste collection”, Monserrate said.

The short-term solution includes carting out the piled up garbage from the waste treatment plant and its remediation. He further announced that the ongoing remediation of the legacy dump should be complete in all respects by December end.

While the GWMC will bear the cost of carting the piled up garbage in the waste treatment plant, estimated around Rs 3.23 crore, the two 25 TPD plants will be set up with funds under the Finance Commission available with the Municipality.

The Minister said land admeasuring 3000 square meters reclaimed from the legacy dump site will be used to build the shed to house the two 25TPD bio-digester.
The meeting has decided to appoint two nodal officers, Sanjeev Joglekar (GWMC) and MMC Assistant engineer Vishant Naik, to coordinate between the GWMC and MMC to implement the decisions.

Monserrate said “Be rest assured, the Sonsoddo imbroglio will be resolved within 18 months. I have not come here for a photo shoot, but to find a permanent solution. After today’s meeting, I want to assure the people that a permanent solution in the form of two 25 TPD plants will be in place within 18 months”.

Stating that GWMC has been engaged in work to find a remedy to the Sonsoddo legacy dump for the last two years, he said the time has now come to put a permanent solution in place. “The GWMC will set up and run the two bio-digesters. The Corporation will also remove the piled up waste and remediate the same. I have been hearing Sonsoddo for ages. The GWMC and MMC has now planned a permanent solution. This problem will be tackled once and for all”, the Minister announced.

Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai who was present at the meeting said, “This is a legacy issue, existing for decades. There is no politics involved. We want support from everyone to resolve the issue. The Minister has understood the issue and we have reached a point wherein we have discussed on finding a permanent solution”.

Both Vijai and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said the road map is being put in place and the details will be known after a detailed project report is prepared by mid-May.
GWMC Managing Director, Levinson Martins said the Corporation has worked out a short term and long term solutions. “What we have proposed at Sonsoddo is just like a mini-Saligao plant treating wet waste”, he said.

On fires surfacing at Sonsoddo, Martins said the soaring temperatures and the heat generated at the waste dump for want of churning of waste, may result in fires in the coming days. On the ongoing remedy plan, he said the work should be hopefully over by May end. He, however, hastened to add that the entire work should be over by December end.

Moreno Rebello, Curtorim Congress leader had 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 is a serious health issue to the people of Curtorim and the MLA from the constituency is sleeping. Aleixo Reginald Lourenco lacks responsibility and does not respect the voters as he has fallen prey to money offered by the government”.

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.