VASCO: Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’ Souza said that scrapyards play a key role in keeping the surroundings clean. D’Souza said that however, the people unnecessarily oppose the scrapyards despite they being important agencies which collect the unwanted waste material and dispose it of without causing any harm to the people and the environment.
The Deputy Chief Minister was addressing the gathering after laying a foundation stone for the scientific disposal of solid waste dump at bioremediation of old solid waste dump at the Mormugao Solid Waste Treatment Plant (MSWTP) at Headland Sada on Saturday.
The function was attended by Power Minister Milind Naik, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, deputy chairperson Shashikant Parab, Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) vice chairman Sudhir Khandolkar, director of urban development and member secretary GSUDA J Ashok Kumar, MMC chief officer Deepali Naik, chief project officer GSUDA Jagadish Hosamani, councillors Damodar Kaskar and Leo Rodrigues, Mormugao BJP president Sanjay Satardekar and others. The programme was organised by MMC in association with GSUDA.
Speaking further, D’Souza said that garbage disposal is an important issue which is being dealt by the people everyday.
“It is my personal opinion that scrapyards play an important role in keeping the surroundings clean. But it has become a trend to oppose the scrapyards without looking at the important aspect that it helps to keep the surroundings clean,” he added.
He said that the scrapyards help the people indisposing of all the trash including papers, plastics, glass etc, and hence it is the need of the hour to support the scrapyards which ultimately support the Prime Minister’s mission of Swachh Bharat.
“Swachh Bharat does not mean collecting only papers and plastics, but the main motto of the drive is to keep the groundwater clean, surroundings open defecation free, the air, that we breathe, clean. If we are to achieve the dream of Swachh Bharat there is a need for everyone to co-operate,” D’Souza said.
The Power Minister, speaking on the occasion, said that he has been laying emphasis on upgrading the 70 metric tonne solid waste treatment plant at Sada.
“I am making all out effort to construct modern MSWTP, and beautify the area surrounding the plant for public use,” he added.
“With the clearance of garbage dumps from MSWTP, I would see that the plant with international standard is made operational,” he said.
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida claimed that he along with the MMC would ensure that MMC retains its first rank (under Goa Governor Swachh Bharat Awards) for maintaining cleanliness in the port town.
He said that efforts are on to maintain cleanliness in Vasco, and added the zeal of the Vasco civic body would leave other municipalities way behind in cleanliness.
The work of clearing the garbage dumps from MSWTP site commenced on Saturday. The dump will be cleared within a period of one year by the contractor appointed by the GSUDA.