NT Reporter
Panaji
In a step towards achieving a garbage-free Goa, the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has invited online bids for the rescreening and safe disposal of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) stored at five municipal dumpsites across the state. The project, estimated at Rs 61.02 lakh, will address nearly 9,780 cubic metres of RDF that has been lying unattended for over two years.
The initiative is part of the ongoing legacy waste remediation drive launched under Phase I in 2019, during which 11 dumpsites were taken up. While six sites have already been remediated, RDF collected from the remaining sites—Headland Sada in Mormugao, Cuncolim, Bicholim, Pernem, and Canacona—remains to be processed and transported.
Officials said the untreated stockpiles pose environmental risks, including fire hazards, foul odours, and possible contamination of water bodies by microplastics. “This project is critical to consolidating the gains of Phase I. Once cleared, these sites can be productively reused for community purposes,” a senior GWMC officer said.
According to the bid document, RDF volumes across the five sites are substantial, with Headland Sada alone accounting for 6,000 cubic metres. Cuncolim follows with 2,300 cubic metres, Bicholim with 1,100 cubic metres, Canacona with 200 cubic metres, and Pernem with 180 cubic metres.
The successful bidder will be required to excavate and rescreen the mixed legacy waste. The process is expected to yield more than 85% reusable RDF, while 10–15% of the fraction will be inert material, grit, or degraded compost. Any fraction contaminated with plastics or non-biodegradables will undergo
secondary screening.
The segregated RDF will then be transported to cement factories, waste-to-energy plants, thermal power stations, or RDF-fired boiler plants for co-processing at high temperatures, as mandated under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
To ensure compliance, bidders must secure Memorandums of Understanding with reputed industries equipped to handle RDF disposal.
Inerts and compost fractions will be temporarily stored at site premises and later disposed of at designated locations approved by the Directorate of Municipal Administration or the Directorate of Panchayats, with necessary clearances from the Goa State Pollution Control Board and Town and Country
Planning Department.
The rescreening and disposal activity must be completed within six months, excluding the monsoon season, with a possible one-month extension in case of plant shutdowns at cement factories. Failure to meet the deadline will invite penalties, including forfeiture of the performance guarantee.
The last date for submission of e-tenders is September 3, 2025, while technical bids will be opened the following day at GWMC’s office in Saligao.
