As the festive season approaches, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is taking proactive measures to tackle the issue of waste accumulation during pre-festival house-to-house cleaning activities ahead of Dussehra. To combat the often irresponsible disposal of damaged and discarded items like furniture, electronics, clothes, and various materials on roads and open spaces, the PMC has launched a special campaign for waste collection, set to kick off on October 14.
The Solid Waste Management Department of the PMC has laid out comprehensive plans for this campaign, including the establishment of collection centers at two health centers in each ward. The primary goal of this initiative is to encourage responsible waste disposal practices and reduce the environmental impact of waste generated during the festive shopping season.
In the lead-up to Dussehra and Diwali, residents typically acquire new furniture, electronics, mattresses, pillows, clothes, curtains, and other items while discarding their old possessions. Recognizing the potential for recycling and reusing these materials, the PMC has been conducting a pre-Dussehra Diwali campaign for collecting old items since the previous year, which received a positive response from citizens. The upcoming campaign is slated to commence on October 14, during which these discarded items will be accepted between 10 am and 4 pm at designated health centers in each ward.
Additionally, starting from November 5, a drive to collect damaged electronic items like mobile phones, laptops, computers, televisions, and washing machines will be initiated. Multiple organizations, including municipalities, the Janwani NGO, Cummins India, Purnam Ecovision, Sagar Mitra, Thumb Creative, Aadar Poonawala Clean City Initiative, and educational institutions, will partake in the e-waste and plastic waste collection campaign, covering approximately 300 locations across the city.
In a separate effort to address the improper disposal of damaged or broken photos of deities and idols, the PMC has organized a special campaign on October 28 and 29. This initiative aims to collect all items and materials related to the deities, ensuring their proper disposal and maintaining environmental cleanliness. The designated locations for item collection will be communicated by each field office and will operate from 10 am to 4 pm.
