Pune: PCMC to Launch App Allowing Residents to Track ‘Ghantagadi’ and Its Expected Arrival in Real Time
Pimpri Chinchwad, 5th September 2026: Residents of Pimpri Chinchwad will soon be able to track their local garbage collection vehicle in real time through a mobile app, as the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) moves to make its waste collection system more transparent and accountable.
The city generates around 1,400 to 1,500 metric tonnes of waste every day. Under the proposed system, the app will display the live location of the garbage vehicle assigned to a particular locality along with its expected arrival time. Citizens will also be able to track vehicles deployed for waste collection at bus stands, hospitals and public toilets.
The initiative comes amid complaints from several areas about delayed garbage collection and vehicles frequently breaking down. The civic administration has decided to increase accountability at the ward level and has warned contractors of stringent action for lapses.
At present, 168 AVGs and 167 BVGs are operating across the city, with one vehicle catering to nearly 2,500 households. The civic body has found that the existing deployment is putting considerable pressure on both vehicles and sanitation staff.
After studying waste management systems in Ahmedabad, Surat and Chennai, the PCMC has incorporated a provision in its new tender to deploy one garbage collection vehicle for every 1,000 to 1,500 households. The number of vehicles will consequently be increased to improve the efficiency of door-to-door collection.
The civic administration has also decided to fix responsibility on health inspectors for ensuring regular garbage collection in their respective wards and areas. Monitoring will no longer remain the sole responsibility of contractors. Contractors failing to improve services despite repeated notices could face FIRs in addition to financial penalties.
Meanwhile, the PCMC is exploring decentralised waste processing facilities instead of depending solely on large dumping or processing sites. Officials have inspected 12 potential locations, and suitable sites will be finalised after consultations with local representatives.
PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryavanshi said the civic body was committed to ensuring timely collection of waste from every household and bringing greater transparency to the system. He said the live garbage vehicle tracking app would be launched soon and warned that action against defaulting contractors would go beyond fines, with FIRs being registered in serious cases.
