Margao: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is facing a daunting task on the municipal solid waste management front.With the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) abandoning the bio-remediation work midway, and the proposed ‘black hole technology’ awaiting approval from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the garbage dump at Sonsoddo is likely to remain untreated until the end of the monsoon.GSIDC had undertaken bio-remediation of the garabage dump in April 2017. The task involved screening of the mixed garbage by sieves with the ultimate aim of “getting rid of the mountain”.The work that was suspended during the monsoon is yet to resume. The proposed ‘black hole’ method uses a US patented technology to melt garbage—from domestic to specific industrial waste—without using fuel or any additional source of electricity.The MMC, expressing concern over the technicalities of the project, has decided to wait for the pollution board’s approval before giving it a go-ahead.“The suitability of the black hole technology for Sonsoddo needs to be evaluated by the GSPCB. The process leaves a residue that could be toxic, and therefore we have our reservations about it,” MMC chief officer Johnson Fernandes said.Fernandes said that the MMC will now focus on waste segregation at source with a view to restore some sanity at the waste treatment plant at Sonsoddo.“We are working on putting our logistics in place for collecting door-to-door segregated waste. We need to procure a few vehicles for the purpose. Once we ensure that only segregated waste goes to the treatment plant at Sonsoddo, the situation will considerably improve,” Fernandes said.The delay in processing the bids received for outsourcing the door-to-door waste collection has compounded the situation for the MMC. “There is some technical issue concerning the bids. We have asked for more time from the directorate of municipal administration to complete the formalities,” he said.

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