lsquoUntreated waste stench from Saligao plant unbearablersquo

  • | Tuesday | 15th January, 2019

The treatment plant has a capacity to treat only 100 metric tonnes of garbage, and to accept garbage only from Calangute and surrounding areas. Today, the plant is getting more than 140 metric tonnes of garbage a daily. PANAJI: A group of villagers from Saligao and Calangute constituencies have alleged that the stench from the solid waste management plant, Saligao has become unbearable since last few months and have now threatened protests if the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) and civic authorities fail to respond to complaints.Villagers allege plaints to authorities and Saligao MLA, Jayesh Salgaonkar , as well as Calangute MLA Michael Lobo , have gone unheard.“The area of up to five kilometers around the plant stinks throughout the day. They have also said that if their demand is not met, they will protest and burn effigies of Saligao and Calangute MLAs.“Our demand is that garbage should be accepted at the plant only to the capacity that the plant has the capacity to process. Today, garbage from the whole of North Goa is being accepted there,” said Prakash Bandodkar, a member of the forum.The villagers have given an ultimatum of a month to the state, ‘to clear the dumped garbage’.

PANAJI: A group of villagers from Saligao and Calangute constituencies have alleged that the stench from the solid waste management plant, Saligao has become unbearable since last few months and have now threatened protests if the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) and civic authorities fail to respond to complaints.Villagers allege plaints to authorities and Saligao MLA, Jayesh Salgaonkar , as well as Calangute MLA Michael Lobo , have gone unheard.“The area of up to five kilometers around the plant stinks throughout the day. The treatment plant has a capacity to treat only 100 metric tonnes of garbage, and to accept garbage only from Calangute and surrounding areas. Today, the plant is getting more than 140 metric tonnes of garbage a daily. This excess 40 metric tonnes is being heaped near the plant,” alleged Premanand Divkar, president of a citizens’ organisation, Calangute constituency forum.Divkar claims that the sludge from such waste has seeped into the ground water and has contaminated wells around the plant.“Chief minister Manohar Parrikar , and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, had said before that the plant was set up to treat garbage from Saligao, Calangute and other surrounding areas only. Today, garbage from the whole of North Goa is being accepted there,” said Prakash Bandodkar, a member of the forum.The villagers have given an ultimatum of a month to the state, ‘to clear the dumped garbage’. They have also said that if their demand is not met, they will protest and burn effigies of Saligao and Calangute MLAs.“Our demand is that garbage should be accepted at the plant only to the capacity that the plant has the capacity to process. We fear that if the dumping continues here, this will become another Sonsoddo,” said Divkar.Divakar also said while the outline development plan for Calangute is making way to allow for vertical development, the state has no means to handle additional garbage that will be generated.“This will completely destroy tourism in North Goa,” he said.

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