Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
With an aim to sensitise the citizens on environmental and civic issues, a platform titled ‘Kham EcoTalks’ was inaugurated on Friday on the banks of the Kham River. These alert citizens will be notified as Kham River Friends (Kham Nadi Mitra). The concept has been initiated by the municipal commissioner G Sreekanth. Deputy Commissioner (Solidwaste Management) Nandkishore Bhombe presented the concept and apprised that the sessions will now be held every Friday.
The first session of the talks was held on the topic – Single use Plastic and Scientific Disposal of Liquid & Solid Waste – wherein the deputy commissioner Bhombe and Gauri Mirashi, co-founder of EcoSattva, guided the session. Bhombe explained the harmful effects of single-use plastic with relatable examples.
When he learnt that a day before the session that breakfast items were brought in plastic bags, he immediately imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on the responsible staff member — setting an example of discipline and accountability. He emphasized the importance of decentralized wastewater treatment projects initiated in the city.
Gauri Mirashi spoke about the importance of waste segregation and highlighted the urgent need to stop dumping of solid waste into the river, especially by residents living along the riverbanks. She stressed that strict action is necessary to address this issue.
The successful organisation of the event saw active participation from Officer on Special Duty for Kham River, Asadullah Khan, all municipal sanitatory inspectors, the Kham STF team, EcoSattva team, and several alert citizens.