Panaji, Oct 13 Several village panchayats and two municipal councils in Goa face potential garbage management challenges after the solid waste treatment plant in Saligao slashed its daily intake by one-third for 25 days, an official said on Tuesday.
Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) managing director Harish Adconkar said that the plant’s daily capacity was reduced from 150 metric tonnes to 100 metric tonnes to facilitate the replacement of one of its two vital bio-digester balloons.
The temporary restriction is expected to affect garbage collection from the Mapusa and Mormugao municipal councils and panchayats, including Chimbel, St Cruz, Corlim, Curca, Old Goa and Merces in North Goa for the next 25 days.
Talking to PTI, Adconkar said local bodies within the plant’s catchment area, including the village panchayats of Saligao and Calangute, could continue sending their waste to the facility.
The affected panchayats have been advised to use organic waste management converters to process garbage within their respective jurisdictions, he said.
The local bodies are already equipped with these converters, which can be used to manage waste during the period of reduced intake, he added.
The plant’s intake capacity is expected to return to normal after the replacement work is completed, Adconkar said.
As per the circular issued to various panchayats and both municipal bodies, the plant is facing major maintenance requirements and certain unforeseen operational conditions.
“In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been necessary to temporarily regulate the receipt of waste at the facility to ensure safe and effective operation of the plant to avoid any further operational complications or damage to the equipment,” the circular reads.
The corporation has asked the affected bodies to make “suitable alternative arrangements for the management and processing of the waste generated within your jurisdiction during this period to ensure that there is no accumulation, uncontrolled disposal or littering of waste.
(PTI News)
