Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Oct 17: Two village panchayats in Tiswadi are exploring the possibility of sending their wet waste to the Bicholim Municipal Council’s waste treatment plant as the temporary shutdown of the Saligao Solid Waste Management Facility continues to disrupt garbage disposal arrangements in the region.
Sources in the Old Goa panchayat told The Goan that discussions have been initiated with officials of the Bicholim Municipal Council to accept wet waste for processing at its five-tonne-per-day facility. However, the details of the discussions remain unclear. Calls made to Old Goa Sarpanch Medha Parvatkar went unanswered.
Neighbouring Corlim panchayat is also exploring a similar arrangement as it struggles to manage waste following the suspension of operations at the Saligao facility.
The crisis began after the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) suspended the acceptance of municipal solid waste from six Tiswadi panchayats and two municipal councils for 25 days from October 10, citing major maintenance work and operational constraints at the Saligao facility. The affected panchayats are Santa Cruz, Merces, Chimbel, Corlim, Curca-Bambolim and Old Goa.
The Saligao facility has reduced its processing capacity from 150 tonnes per day to around 100-110 tonnes while repairs are being carried out on a biodigester unit. The GWMC has directed the affected local bodies to make alternative arrangements for handling waste generated within their respective jurisdictions.
However, panchayats have reportedly expressed concern that they were caught off guard by the prolonged suspension and have received little practical assistance from the government in identifying alternative disposal sites.
With wet waste continuing to accumulate daily, concerns are growing over unhygienic conditions and potential public health risks in the affected villages. Several panchayats have reportedly resorted to storing collected waste at local facilities while searching for temporary disposal solutions.
Sources said the Bicholim plant could provide immediate relief if an arrangement is finalised. Until then, the affected panchayats face mounting pressure to prevent a major garbage disposal crisis while awaiting the resumption of normal operations at Saligao.