New tech coming, but Margao waste crisis far from over

Sonsodo will finally see the installation of a waste treatment facility — a 10-tonne gasification plant aimed at tackling mixed waste generated in Goa’s commercial capital.

- THE GOAN | NETWORK

The project, estimated to cost Rs 7.5 crore, marks a long-awaited step towards improving the city’s solid waste management.

However, the new plant is not expected to offer an overnight solution for Margao’s ongoing garbage crisis. While the initiative by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) may help eliminate garbage black spots in the city, it will only address a fraction of the total waste generated daily — especially doing little to solve the critical issue of wet waste management.

Consider this: Currently, Margao produces approximately 35 tonnes of wet waste per day, most of which is transported to the Cacora Waste Treatment Plant. This transportation alone costs the MMC over Rs 1 crore annually.

Unfortunately, the proposed gasification technology, developed by a Pune-based startup, is not ideally suited for treating high-moisture waste. Although the 10-tonne plant is technically capable of handling mixed waste, officials who recently visited a similar plant in Pune admit that the technology is more effective on dry or low-moisture materials.