Pune: PMC Expands Garbage Collection Fleet With 250 Ghanta Gadis, 30 Compactors

Pune: In a bid to strengthen the city's solid waste management system, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to hire 250 mini garbage collection vehicles (Ghanta Gadis) and 30 compactor trucks on a lease basis. The move aims to improve the efficiency of door-to-door waste collection and meet the growing demand for waste transportation across the city.

The decision comes in view of Pune's rapidly increasing population and the corresponding rise in daily waste generation. With the city's population estimated at around 7 million, Pune generates nearly 2,800 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste every day. Civic officials said the existing fleet is no longer sufficient to handle the growing volume of waste, resulting in delays in garbage collection in several localities.

At present, PMC operates 770 garbage collection vehicles, including 379 owned by the civic body, while the remaining vehicles are hired on contract. However, officials acknowledged that the current fleet is inadequate to ensure timely waste collection across all parts of the city, leading to complaints from residents about uncollected garbage.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair said the civic administration has decided to augment the fleet by hiring additional vehicles to improve collection efficiency.

Under the proposed arrangement, the contractor will provide the vehicles along with drivers, fuel and one helper. The contractor will also be required to ensure that each vehicle completes a minimum of five collection trips daily.

PMC officials believe the additional vehicles will reduce the workload on sanitation staff, improve waste collection efficiency and ensure timely garbage clearance across the city. The move is expected to strengthen Pune's overall solid waste management system and address recurring complaints of delayed garbage collection.