Pune civic body collects 6,863.3kg plastic waste in a day

Additional commissioner says response was moderate as it was Sunday and the drive was held for short duration.

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) day-long plastic waste collection drive on Sunday helped the civic body gather 6,863.3 kilogramme (kg) of garbage, drawing good response to the initiative.

Residents discarded plastic waste at the collection points set up by Pune Municipal Corporation as part of its plastic waste collection drive in Pune on Sunday.(SANKET WANKHADE/HT PHOTO)

A total of 5,880 kg of plastic bags, 1,758 kg of thermocol and 225.3 kg of e-waste was collected by the civic body from 200 places in the city. Many residents took time off to drop plastic waste from their homes and societies on Sunday, thanks to the voice recorded messages from mayor Mukta Tilak on social media groups and the numerous banners across the city.

The one-day plastic waste collection drive was organised to drive home the message of the Maharashtra plastic ban. Mayor Tilak along with Saurabh Rao, municipal commissioner, inaugurated the drive at Mahatma Phule mandai. Janwani and Sant Nirankari Charitable Foundation enacted a street play on cleanliness. Annabhau Sathe Kala Pathak Pune Corporation Workers Union presented songs on cleanliness and hygiene. 

Residents dump plastic waste at a collection point at Shivajinagar ward office as part of PMC plastic waste collection drive in Pune on Sunday. (SANKET WANKHADE/HT PHOTO)

The mayor appealed to the people to use cloth bags and stop using things made of plastics.

The response to the initiative grew by the day. In Yerawada, nobody visited the collection points till 8am, while Tadiwala road saw few people bringing in plastic waste. The drive saw massive response in residential areas like Aundh, Baner, Model Colony, Ghole road, Kothrud and nearby marketplaces so much so that members of residential societies even drove tempos filled with plastic and e-waste to the collection spots. 

Suresh Jagtap, additional commissioner and head, solid waste management, said, “There was a moderate response today from the residents and merchants in the city may be because it was a Sunday and was held only for a short duration. The initiative will continue every day till June. Residents can come and drop the waste at the Agrogya Kothi. The collected waste will be used to create refuse derived fuel (RDF), which will be used at the waste energy plant.”

He also added that there was a need for stronger appeal and reaching out to the people better.