Mala Market turns into garbage 'dump'

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-10
PANAJI - The Mala residents on the Dussehra day got a jolt when they discovered that the under construction Mala market is being used as a mega composting station by the Corporation of the City of Panaji for a couple of days, and the garbage stored in a number of crates have attracted large-sized flies as well as maggots.
Incidentally, the Hedgewar School and the People’s High School as well as a housing colony are situated only a couple of metres away from the unused market.
The mayor, Mr Tony Rodrigues told ‘The Navhind Times’ late Thursday evening that due permission has been taken from the Planning and Development Authority, which is constructing the particular market, to use it as a composting station.
“We have kept the garbage-filled crates in the shops of the market for composting purpose,” he informed, adding that the garbage stored is gathered through door-to-door collection from the Mala area only.
Mr Rodrigues also stated that the Panaji MLA, Mr Manohar Parrikar informed him about the complaints from the locals, and he would be visiting the Mala area on Friday.
The locals residing near the market told this daily that a stench had spread in the area for a number of days, but they thought it was due to the anaerobic digester plant located at Patto.
“Subsequently, it was observed that the number of flies in the Mala area had also increased,” they said pointing out that a couple of days ago, the storage of garbage in the market was discovered by some children playing in the vicinity.
“We immediately complained to the local councillor, Mr Milind Shirodkar, but he did not act,” they maintained adding that another complaint to Mr Parrikar has now resulted in the Friday visit of the mayor.
The residents alleged that the CCP workers were placing the garbage in the market late in the night so that no one would notice the act.
They observed that a health hazard or an epidemic might break out in the area if the garbage is not moved immediately, and the composting station shut down.