Force workers to load excess in other vehicles Warn they will bar all MMC trucks entering Nessai
MMC workers shifting waste from an overloaded vehicle into another vehicle after the trucks were stopped by Areal villagers on Thursday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council's cup of woes over garbage management seem full and overflowing.
Thursday saw agitated residents of Sao Jose de Areal stopping a couple of overloaded Margao Municipal trucks transporting dry waste from the commercial capital to the Nessai industrial estate for baling.
While the MMC has implemented its commitment to the Areal residents that the trucks transporting dry waste would be covered with tarpaulin sheets, what has agitated the residents is that the trucks have been overloaded with dry waste beyond the body level.
Social activist Freddy Travasso along with other residents took to the streets on Thursday and stopped a truck, though covered with tarpaulin, after it was found transporting waste beyond the body level.
The agitated residents force the MMC workers to unload the excess waste from the trucks and load the same in other vehicles.
In fact, Travasso has warned that the residents will stop all waste transporting trucks entering Nessai industrial estate in Areal village if they carry waste beyond the body level.
He also raised the question whether the MMC has obtained the consent from the Goa State Pollution Control Board to transport the Margao waste to the Nessai estate for baling.
“The MMC should not test the patience of the Area villagers. On Monday, the Chief Officer and other officers have assured me that the trucks transporting dry waste to Nessai would be covered with tarpaulin. No doubt, the trucks were covered with tarpaulin, but they were all found overloaded”, he said.
Saying the residents are giving a last opportunity for the MMC to mend ways and complying with waste transportation guidelines, Travasso said the residents will continue to stop the MMC vehicles entering the village by throwing the norms to the winds.
The MMC sent a Junior engineer to Areal to resolve the issues raised by the local residents. Travasso spoke to Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar over the phone, to convey a message that residents will not allow overloaded waste vehicles from entering Areal village.
