PMC appoints private agency to collect garden waste

PUNE: In a move towards better garden waste management, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has appointed a private agency to collect the green rubbish from Aundh, Vimannagar and Ghole road areas on a pilot basis

PUNE: In a move towards better garden waste management, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has appointed a private agency to collect the green rubbish from Aundh, Vimannagar and Ghole road areas on a pilot basis.

In a move towards better garden waste management, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has appointed a private agency to collect the green rubbish (HT FILE PHOTO)

Asha Raut, head, PMC solid waste department, said, “PMC daily collects almost 100 metric tonnes of garden waste, including 30 per cent coconut shells.”

Satish Modak from Sahakarnagar area said, “Our locality has many trees and garden waste is high. Swacch employees do not pick it up regularly and PMC garden department’s vehicles come once in a week. The civic body should take steps to collect garden waste on a daily basis.”

Raut said, “As Pune city has 28 per cent green cover, garden waste generation is high. Earlier, PMC used to collect and transport garden waste, but has now appointed an agency to collect, transport and process it. The agency has already started work in a few areas, including Aundh, Ghole road and Vimannagar.”

PMC has allocated six places at various locations for collecting garden waste. The private contractor prepares products from garden waste. The civic body will pay the contractor fees per metric tonne of garden waste.

Ashok Ghorpade, head, PMC garden department, said, “The garden waste includes dry leaves collected from housing societies, bungalows, open spaces and roadsides. The waste generated from civic gardens is used on premises only.”