ADDRESS GARBAGE ISSUE BEFORE IT FESTERS FURTHER

Opposition to the Solid Waste Management Facility (SWMF) at Saligao surfaced again, after the government cleared the expansion of the plant, augmenting its capacity from 150 tonnes per day to 250 TPD at an approved project cost of Rs 103.87 crore. It is pertinent to note that this expansion had been approved by the cabinet in February last year, at a time when the current MLA of Saligao, who is leading the opposition to the expansion, was a minister in the cabinet. The expansion last year had ben estimated to cost Rs 82.15 crore, the cost now, 16 months later, is Rs 20 crore higher. 

On the day that the approval for the expansion project was given, the local MLA Jayesh Salgaocar led the oppostion to the expansion stating that the existing plant already affects the villages of Saligao, Pilerne and others, and that none of the assurances of the government have been put in place. He also said that the views of the villagers are not being taken into consideration. One of the issues raised is that the expansion had been earlier approved by the villagers to 100 tonnes on the assurance that it would be garbage only from the neighbouring village of Calangute. A day later the Congress too raised a red flag to the expansion, and the party has now petitioned the Governor on the issue, their demand being that the government be directed to limit the operation of the plant only to the villages comprising Saligao and Calangute constituencies, as had been promised at the time of setting up the facility by the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The opposition from the villagers to the expansion of the facility raises issues that need to be addressed. The biggest fear is that the plant may one day get reduced to a garbage dump yard. This is also the fear of the people residing around Bainguinim in Tiswadi that has been identified for another waste treatment plant, and who are opposing it. The past experience of government assurances failing does not inspire confidence in the people that these garbage treatment plants will not turn into a dump yard. This is where the Minister for Waste Management, Michael Lobo, who is elected from the neighbouring constituency of Calangute, has to step in with assurances that will convince the people of Saligao that the plant will treat garbage, and not merely collect and store it. He has to repeat the same where Bainguinim is concerned.

For political reasons, and others that remain largely unfathomable, the garbage problem in Goa prolongs with no solution found. Even study tours by official delegations led by the Waste Management Minister appear to not have devised the answer to what is to be done. In fact, a year after Goa got a minister for waste management, there appears to be no improvement. The bottomline is that Goa urgently needs facilities to treat its garbage. It doesn’t have enough of such plants and that is the reason why the Sonsoddo dump in South Goa remains like festering wound in otherwise pristine Salcete. Goa does not need another such growing mountain of garbage anywhere in the State. Before, the molehills of garbage turn into mountains, the State needs to address all the objections and begin work on setting up garbage treatment plants that will not turn into dumps. Obviously garbage cannot be dumped just about anywhere, as the experience of this is there for all to see at Sonsoddo.