Margao council set to commission gasification plant by Republic Day

Margao: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is on track to commission its gasification plant at Sonsoddo by Jan 26. Chief officer Madhu Narvekar said installation will be completed soon.“Trial runs will be conducted before the official commissioning,” said Narvekar. The MMC has targeted Republic Day for the plant’s inauguration, pending approval from the Goa State Pollution Control Board.The MMC incurred an investment of Rs 3.7 crore towards the 10-tonne-per-day (TPD) capacity facility. An additional Rs 3.5 crore has been allocated for 5 years of maintenance and operation by the Pune-based contractor, GD Environmental Pvt Ltd, bringing the total project cost to over Rs 7 crore.MMC sources said a live monitoring system for emission levels will be installed at the site, allowing real-time tracking of the plant’s environmental impact.The gasification plant will initially operate as a pilot project, processing Margao’s waste using advanced technology that converts waste into fly ash suitable for brick manufacturing.Currently, Margao generates 35-40 tonnes of wet waste daily, exceeding the plant’s initial capacity.

MMC officials said that the facility’s capacity will be expanded if the pilot succeeds.The project is a shift from traditional landfill-dependent disposal methods.A tripartite agreement was signed in Nov 2025 between MMC, the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA), and GD Environmental Pvt Ltd to set up the plant.With several black spots across Margao generating approximately 5 tonnes of mixed waste daily, MMC officials said the new facility will address the town’s long-standing waste management challenges.