Old Goa: Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai led from the front as a large number of Old Goa locals marched in protest against the Bainguinim waste plant, on Sunday.
The march started from DG Mart and wound up at the site of the plant, near Casa Amora building with the protestors shouting slogans against the setting up of the plant in a residential area.
It may be recalled that two years back residents had taken out a similar march to protest against the plant.
Speaking to reporters, Faldessai said that he will not allow the plant to come up at any cost as the site is a residential area surrounded by a mutt, schools, hospital, UNESCO churches, etc. “I will be the first to sleep on the road if the need arises,” he stated.
“The waste plant can be setup anywhere else but not here as close to 2000 flats are located here. Also temples, schools, hospital, churches are located in the vicinity and this area is not suitable for setting up a waste treatment plant. It can be shifted elsewhere,” Faldessai stated.
“My constituency consists of seven panchayats and we will try to setup garbage plants in all the panchayats to treat waste. We will not allow garbage from other parts to be treated here,” he added.
“The government will have to listen to us otherwise 20,000 Cumbarjua constituents will hit the streets,” the MLA cautioned.
“As the exposition of St Francis Xavier’s relic will be held in 2024 we will work towards transforming Old Goa into a beautiful place. Also, work will be taken up to beautify the Carambolim lake. If the plant comes up, it will spoil everything,” Faldessai added.
“They are saying that there will be no smell. But look at what is happening in Saligao and the same is bound to happen here,” the MLA pointed out.
“I will bring the chief minister as well as the waste management minister at the site and show them why the plant should not be setup here. Once they come here and apprise themselves of the ground reality, then I am sure that they will also be in agreement,” Faldessai added.
TMC leader Samil Volvoikar, NIO scientist Arwindkumar Saran, Se Old Goa sarpanch Meghasham Parvatkar, Carambolim sarpanch Uttam Murgaonkar, deputy sarpanch Menino Cardozo, Old Goa panchas Vishal Volvoikar and Vishwas Kuttikar, Carambolim panch Wilson Valladares, and a large number of residents participated in the march.
