MARGAO: Fomento, the concessionaire of the municipal solid waste (MSW) project under way at Sonsoddo, claimed that the work on the project is progressing as per the time schedule and that the trial runs will commence by August-end.

The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) had signed the concession agreement with Fomento in February 2012 to set up the MSW plant designed to treat 50-70 TPD (tonnes per day) of garbage on a design, build, own, operate and transfer (DBOOT) basis for a period of 25 years. The concessionaire is required to complete the project within 16 months, excluding the monsoon period.

The MMC is awaiting the detailed project report (DPR) from its consultant K R Gopalkrishnan for the task of capping the Sonsoddo garbage dump on scientific lines so as to go ahead with the exercise. The consultancy team visited the Sonsoddo garbage dumpyard recently and conducted a contour survey of the site. Data pertaining to the quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) that lands up at Sonsoddo was also gathered by the team. The MMC will invite tenders from contractors for capping the Sonsoddo garbage dump after receiving the DPR, including design for the closure, from the consultant.

Sources said that the contractor who bags the tender for capping will also be required to monitor the site for a period of at least 15 years and take care of any eventualities. It normally takes a period of up to five years for the capped surface to get 0sufficiently stabilized, sources said.

The capping of the Sonsoddo garbage dump was necessitated following confirmation by the MMC's consultant for the Sonsoddo garbage treatment plant, P U Asnani, about the presence of toxic metals in the dump, who suggested that the dump be capped following specifications of scientific closure as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000.

The exercise envisages levelling and reforming the existing heap of garbage dump and incorporating environmental mitigation measures including laying of geo-textiles (impermeable surface cover) to secure the site against seepage of rainwater and collection of landfill gas (predominantly methane), leachate collection system, development of a green belt and landscaping, including a green cover over the dumpsite.