The Times of India 24.10.2014
MMC gets stick for poor waste mgmt
Panaji: The Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) has pulled up the Mapusa municipal council (MMC) for failure in waste management.
In an order to the MMC on Thursday, GSPCB issued a series of directions
urging the council to get its act together. The GSPCB directed the
council to start door-to-door collection of segregated waste in all
wards of Mapusa, adding that segregation of waste has to be initiated at
source. The board said that the segregated non-biodegradable waste may
be sent for recycling, whereas, the non-recycled waste may be sent for
co-processing in a cement kiln after baling or handed over to the
government agency.
The pollution board has also directed the
Mapusa municipality to install a baling machine for baling the plastic
and to hand it over to government-appointed agencies.
Faulting
the council for not keeping proper records, GSPCB directed the council
to maintain proper records of the waste collected, waste sent for
recycling, biodegradable waste and inert waste. It also directed the
council to apply for authorization for the identified landfill facility
at Cunchelim.
The council has been told to treat the
biodegradable waste at the composting pits in the town and to stop
discharge of OWC (organic waste converter) wash water into the ‘nullah’
and to instead direct it into a soak pit. The board has noted that while
the council has seven composting units, only one at the Assagao plateau
is operating.
The board directed the council to construct a
shed for handling waste at Assagao plateau on priority and to construct a
landfill site for dumping of solid waste.
The board has warned
that failure to comply with the directions will compel the board to
file appropriate proceedings in the courts. GSPCB conducted an
inspection of MMC’s garbage management facilities in June this year with
regards to compliance to a high court directive vide its order dated
August 13, 2013.
GSPCB has directed the MMC to start
door-to-door collection of segregated waste in all wards of Mapusa,
adding that segregation of waste has to be initiated at source.