GWMC says MMC will have to take a call on biomentanation plants

MARGAO 

For the moment, however, the Margao Municipal Council finds itself in a fix and will have to take a call sooner rather than later. Whether the civic body goes ahead with the tendering of the three bio-methanation plants approved by the Director of Urban Development or waits for the action plan of the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to tender as many as seven bio-methanation plants as per the directions of Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo needs to be seen. 

Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo had last week proposed as many as seven biomethanation plants at Sonsodo during his visit to the site along with MLAs Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai. 

Officials in the know, however, informed that Michael’s proposal to set up seven biomethanation plants have come at a time when the Director of Municipal Administration Dr Tariq Thomas has already accorded the government’s approval for the setting up of the three bio-methanation plants in the city. 

Dr Thomas, however, told The Goan that it is purely for the Margao Municipal Council to take a call whether the civic body should tender the approved bio-methanation plants or reconcile with the plants mooted by the Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo. “The biomethanation plants approved by the government were decided upon by the agencies including the Goa Waste Management Corporation. If there’s another proposal to set up seven plants, it is for the MMC to take a call on how to go about, whether to tender the three plants already approved or reconcile the project with the proposal mooted by the Waste Management Minister,” Dr Thomas added. 

Given the situation, Margao Municipal Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar will be under the cynosure of all eyes, whether he would float the tenders for the biomethanation plants already approved by the Director of Municipal Administration or wait for the Goa Waste Management Corporation’s proposal to take a call. 

When contacted to shed light on the situation, the MMC Chief officer said his office has already received all clear signal from the Director of Municipal Administration to tender two of the three biomethanation plants. “The proposal to tender the three plants was sent to the DMA’s office based on a council resolution. With the DMA giving the go-ahead signal with all approvals, the municipality can tender the first two plants immediately,” he said. 

He pointed out that these three biomethanation were proposed by the municipality at the SGPDA markets to cut manpower cost and reduce waste going to Sonsodo. 

When asked to throw light on the proposed biomethanation plants at Margao, MD of Goa Waste Management Corporation Levinson Martins said it was purely for the MMC to take a call on the issue – whether to go ahead with the three biomethanation plants already approved by the government or go for the seven plants mooted by the Waste Management Minster. “The GWMC will send its action plan to the MMC later this week. It is now for the MMC to take a call on the issue,” Martins said.