Sources said the civic body has already spent nearly Rs 3.36 crore over the last two years solely on transporting wet waste from the Sonsodo garbage site to the Cacora plant. The rising expenditure has once again renewed demands for a dedicated waste treatment facility for Margao instead of depending indefinitely on expensive transportation arrangements.
The issue has gained importance at a time when the Municipality is reportedly struggling to arrange funds for the recurring transportation costs. While the MMC had initially used savings from Finance Commission allocations to meet the expenses, the continuing burden on municipal finances has now forced the Council to look for alternative funding options.
In fact, the matter is expected to come up for discussion at the forthcoming Council meeting next week, where the MMC administration is likely to seek approval from the government to use Solid Waste Management Funds under Grants-in-Aid (GIA) for transporting wet waste to the Cacora Waste Treatment Facility at Curchorem.
According to an official note circulated among councillors, the Municipality currently collects more than 35 metric tonnes of wet waste every day from wards within the MMC jurisdiction. Acting on directions from the High Court, the entire quantity of wet waste is being transported to the Cacora facility through specialised vehicles provided by the Goa Waste Management Corporation.
“The GWMC is charging about Rs 14 lakh per month towards transportation of wet waste, which comes to Rs 1.68 crore annually. At present, the transportation cost is being met from Municipal funds, placing a considerable financial burden on the Council,” the note stated.
The administration has maintained that solid waste management remains a priority sector and has therefore proposed that the expenditure on transporting wet waste from Margao to the Cacora facility be covered through Solid Waste Management Funds under the GIA scheme.
The Council is also expected to move a proposal to the Directorate of Municipal Administration seeking both administrative and financial approval for a one-year period after preparing the necessary estimates.
The rising transportation costs have once again brought attention to the long-pending demand for a full-fledged waste treatment plant in Margao. Civic activists and residents have repeatedly questioned why the A-Class Municipal body continues to spend crores on transporting waste instead of investing in permanent waste processing infrastructure within the city limits.
With waste generation continuing to increase and transportation costs showing no signs of falling, the MMC now faces growing pressure to find a sustainable and financially viable solution to the city’s garbage crisis.
HC’s direction on bio-methanation plant still awaiting action
MARGAO: In an official note issued by the Municipal administration, the Margao Municipal Council stated that all wet waste is being transported to the Cacora Waste Treatment Facility through specialised vehicles provided by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), in compliance with High Court directions.
While the MMC has given the impression that the civic body is strictly following the High Court’s directions, the Court’s 2024 order to set up a dedicated 15 TPD bio-methanation plant has still not been implemented. In fact, the government-constituted High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC), headed by the Chief Minister, has not met even once to discuss the High Court’s directions regarding the proposed 15 TPD bio-methanation plant at Sonsodo. The Court had specifically directed the HPCC to urgently deliberate on the matter and issue the necessary instructions to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) and the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) regarding the proposed plant.
“Insofar as the balance work ” including repairs to various equipment, establishment of a 15 TPD bio-methanation plant at the Sonsodo site, and operationalisation of a 5 TPD bio-methanation facility near the SGPDA market in Margao ” is concerned, the Advocate General stated that the High Powered Committee would meet and take a decision on these issues. Accordingly, we expect the HPC to address these matters as soon as possible and issue necessary directions to the GWMC and the MMC,” the Court had observed while disposing of the PIL filed by Citizens for Sonsodo through its Secretary, Roque Mascarenhas.
