Panel to meet to plan waste treatment plant at Sonsodo: Goa CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawanton Thursday said the high-power committee will meet beforeFebruary 10 to decide on setting up a waste treatment plant atSonsodi, one of the oldest garbage dumps in the state.

The garbage dump at Sonsodo near Margao town in SouthGoa has been in existence since the Portuguese era.

Speaking in the state Legislative Assembly, Sawantsaid the state government is serious about dealing with thegarbage menace.

The issue was raised on the floor of the House byCongress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who had sought to knowfrom Waste Management Minister Micheal Lobo about the fate ofthe garbage dump, which has reached menacing proportions.

Intervening the discussion, Goa Forward Party MLAVijai Sardesai demanded that the state government should givea firm assurance about tackling this issue.

Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat also joined fellowmembers in the demand.

Responding to the query, Lobo said the government hadinitially planned to set up seven plants at Sonsodo to treatthe waste, but now it intends to have only one plant with 75tonne capacity.

The minister said the plant at Sonsodo will be amini-replica of the facility at Saligao (North Goa), which ismanaged by the Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation (GSWMC).

The opposition benches were unhappy with the response,as Sardesai questioned why they were not taken into confidencewhen the government changed its plan to have one plant insteadof seven.

To this, the chief minister assured that the high-power committee led by him will meet before February 10 anddecide on the matter.

He said all the three MLAs Kamat, Sardesai andLourenco will be taken into confidence before making thefinal decision in the matter.