‘Zero garbage’ drive kicks off in Katraj today

In an effort to make Katraj the first garbage-free ward in the city, NGO Janwani, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Cummins Group and SWaCH Cooperative will jointly launch a project on Wednesday.

The launch marks the birth anniversary of Sant Gadgebaba, a social reformer, who propagated the value of cleanliness.

The garbage will be collected and recycled in Katraj itself. The ward with a population of 36,000 generates more than a tonne of garbage every day.
In the first phase, emphasis will be on spreading awareness about the segregation of waste. Volunteers will visit households to make residents aware about the segregation of dry and wet garbage. Even slum-dwellers will be asked to segregate waste.

The segregated garbage will be collected by 46 Swach members using pushcarts, tempos and cycle rickshaws. The second phase will entail putting both wet and dry garbage to use.

Arun Firodia told reporters that the PMC, corporates and NGOs had joined hands for a better management of waste. The project would be replicated in other wards as well.

Three teams have been formed to spread awareness, collect garbage and recycle it. The work will be monitored regularly and the results will be recorded. The stakeholders will keep track of how it helps improve the quality of life.

Janwani director Kishori Gadre said, “We will seek an ISO certification for the project so that its replication becomes easy. We will explore ways to
recycle the garbage.”