1k tonnes of garbage collected as CSMC operates new waste collection system

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar A day after its formal inauguration, the city's new solid waste collection system and transfer stations became fully operational on Saturday.The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) deployed its entire fleet and managed to collect 500 tonnes of garbage across the city in a day. Authorities maintained that on Saturday and Sunday, nearly 1,000 tonnes of garbage was collected. The civic administration used a total of 490 vehicles, including 412 newly introduced door-to-door collection vans and a mix of small and large tippers, to ensure citywide coverage.Deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management) Nandkishor Bhombe said, "Transfer stations at Ramanagar, N-12 and Shivajinagar also became fully functional on Saturday, streamlining the process of transporting and processing waste. The new system received an enthusiastic response from elected representatives."Mayor Sameer Rajurkar visited different parts of the city and inspected the functioning of transfer stations. He reviewed the operations and interacted with sanitation staff.Both, the municipal commissioner Amol Yedge and the mayor Rajurkar conducted surprise visits to multiple collection points during the day to ensure smooth implementation. During these visits, Yedge issued strict instructions to sanitation workers to mandatorily use personal protective equipment (PPE) while on duty and to maintain courteous behaviour while interacting with citizens. He also appealed to residents to segregate waste at source into wet and dry categories, stressing that the effectiveness of the system depends on proper segregation.In a notable outreach effort, awareness teams accompanied collection vehicles and directly engaged with citizens, educating them about segregation of wet, dry and hazardous waste. Civic officials said the response from residents was encouraging, with many households voluntarily segregating waste and even spreading awareness among neighbours. Backed by planning and support from public representatives, the civic body claimed that for the first time in its history, door-to-door garbage collection vehicles reached every household in the city in a single day.