Lobo: Leaking trucks won’t be allowed at garbage plant

Saligao: Waste management minister Michael Lobo on Monday said he is ready to work with the people of Saligao to find a solution to leachate overflowing from trucks coming to the waste treatment plant in their village. Lobo added that there should not be any politics with regards to solid waste management.
Lobo was speaking at a meeting of sarpanchas and secretaries of various village panchayats of Saligao and Calangute constituencies at the solid waste management plant.The meeting was also attended by managing director of the waste plant Levinson Martins.
Lobo issued directions to the panchayats that their trucks would not be permitted at the plant if leachate was leaking or they were uncovered. “We have noticed that the trucks don’t have leachate tanks and many uncovered trucks come to the plant without any cover. These trucks have to be fitted with tanks as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016,” he said, adding that all of them will get orders to fit leachate tanks on the trucks.
During the meeting, Saligao sarpanch Shraddha Borkar raised the issue of the stench emanating from the plant and said students of a nearby school are suffering due to the smell. Lobo promised to visit the school and check if the situation was bad or not.
On the issue of expansion, Lobo said that the plant is equipped to deal with the waste of only 27 panchayats and is not for other village panchayats. “At least 30% of Goa’s problem of dry and wet waste is taken care of by this plant. This plant is a role model. We don’t want people to come up and say that this plant is bad,” he added.
On Sunday, Saligao villagers had stopped three garbage trucks which were leaking leachate from entering the waste plant. Eleven trucks which had leachate tanks were permitted inside the garbage treatment plant.