The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is poised to inaugurate a state-of-the-art waste gasification plant at Sonsoddo, with Republic Day, January 26, marked as the target date for its official commissioning. This significant step aims to revolutionize how the commercial capital of Goa handles its persistent solid waste management challenges.
Project Details and Investment
Chief officer Madhu Narvekar confirmed that the installation of the facility is nearing completion. The MMC has invested Rs 3.7 crore in setting up the plant, which has a capacity of 10 tonnes per day (TPD). Furthermore, a sum of Rs 3.5 crore has been earmarked for a comprehensive five-year operation and maintenance contract, bringing the total project expenditure to over Rs 7 crore.
The Pune-based firm, GD Environmental Pvt Ltd, is the contractor responsible for both building and maintaining the plant. A crucial tripartite agreement to establish this facility was signed in November 2025 between the MMC, the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA), and the contractor.
Technology and Environmental Safeguards
This project represents a decisive shift away from traditional, landfill-dependent waste disposal methods. The plant will utilize advanced gasification technology to process Margao's municipal solid waste. The process will convert the waste into fly ash, which is a usable material for manufacturing bricks, promoting a circular economy model.
To ensure transparency and environmental compliance, a live monitoring system for emission levels will be installed at the Sonsoddo site. This system will allow the MMC and regulatory authorities to track the plant's environmental impact in real-time, a key requirement for obtaining the final approval from the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
Pilot Phase and Future Expansion
Narvekar stated that trial runs will be conducted thoroughly before the plant is formally commissioned. Initially, the facility will operate as a pilot project. This is a strategic move, given that Margao currently generates between 35 to 40 tonnes of wet waste daily, which exceeds the plant's initial 10-TPD capacity.
MMC officials have indicated that the success of this pilot phase is critical. If the technology proves effective, the capacity of the gasification plant will be expanded to handle a larger volume of the town's waste. The facility is expected to directly address the issue of several black spots across Margao, which collectively generate roughly 5 tonnes of mixed waste every day.
This initiative is being closely watched as a potential model for sustainable waste management, offering a tech-driven solution to a problem that has plagued Margao for years.
