‘Clean District, Beautiful District’: Pune Takes Proactive Steps to Address Highway Garbage Issue
Pune, 23rd May 2023: Taking inspiration from the successful ‘Clean Pune, Beautiful Pune’ initiative within the city, Pune district is now gearing up to implement the concept of ‘Clean district, beautiful district.’
The Zilla Parishad administration has formulated plans to establish solid waste management projects in villages along the highways in rural areas of the district. As a first step, five villages located on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway have been selected for the initial phase of the project. This endeavor aims to maintain cleanliness along all highways by addressing the issue of indiscriminate garbage dumping.
The initial phase of the project will focus on constructing these waste management projects in Kesnand, Lonikand, Bakori, Perne, and Koregaon Bhima villages situated along the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, in close proximity to Pune city. Funds for the project will be raised through local administration, Zilla Parishad, and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fund. Once the construction is completed in these five villages, the subsequent phases will extend the projects to villages along all highways in Pune district.
To ensure the successful implementation of these projects, Ayush Prasad, the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, held a joint meeting with the Sarpanch (village head), Gram Sevak (village development officer), Extension Officer, and Group Coordinator of the selected villages. The meeting covered various aspects, including waste generation, waste management practices, the current state of sanitary facilities, and future requirements for waste management in the villages.
Presently, garbage is indiscriminately dumped on the sides of highways, releasing unpleasant odors and causing inconvenience to travelers. The aim of these solid waste management projects is to prevent such garbage dumping around highways. Milind Tonpe, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Water and Sanitation Department at Zilla Parishad, emphasized the importance of keeping highways clean and ensuring that village waste is appropriately disposed of within the village premises.
The open spaces alongside highways near villages have become dumping grounds for unknown individuals, resulting in large accumulations of garbage. The establishment of waste management projects in these villages aims to prevent the formation of garbage heaps on the sides of highways, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene along the roadways.
Benefits of the ‘Clean District, Beautiful District’ Project:
Highway litter will be significantly reduced, improving the overall environment.
Villages will be free from unsightly garbage heaps, enhancing their aesthetics.
Organic fertilizer production can be achieved through effective waste management.
Gram Panchayats (village councils) will generate financial income from the sale of fuel and fertilizers.
Regular garbage collection and waste transportation services will be provided.
Waste will be processed efficiently, leading to the production of organic fertilizer and fuel.
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