Gujarat firm to use technology for efficient garbage collection in city

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: From February 1, the task of garbage collection in the city will be handled by Western Imaginary, a company from Gujarat. The company has begun a door-to-door survey in the city. Employees are taking photographs of properties along with their Google location data. It is expected that the city will appear cleaner than before in the New Year.

The contract with the Reddy Company is valid until January 2026. Western Imaginary operates in cities like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vadodara, which consistently rank in the top ten for cleanliness. Based on the company’s experience and performance, the municipal corporation awarded them the work. The city has approximately 3 to 3.5 lakh properties. The company has brought 30–35 employees from Gujarat. Some local children are also assisting in the survey. They have been provided with a mobile app to take photos of houses in various neighbourhoods. Garbage collection planning will be based on Google location data.

For every 1,200 houses, at least one ‘ghantagadi’ will be assigned. If the vehicle reaches the designated point, a green signal will be shown; if it does not, a red signal will appear. Even if the vehicle driver changes the route, the control room will receive a notification, and the driver must explain the reason for the change. Violations of these rules will result in fines for the company.

The garbage collection will utilise advanced technology to the maximum extent. The company’s small vehicles and large vehicles will operate in a closed system. Payment to the municipal corporation will depend on the number of trips completed by the trucks, unlike the Reddy Company, which was paid based on the weight of garbage collected. Although the Reddy Company worked for seven years, the city could not achieve significant improvements in cleanliness.