144 tonnes of waste cleared from Deekshabhoomi area in three days around Dhammachakra Pravartan Din

Sanitation workers of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's solid waste management department worked day and night to keep the area clean during the 70th Dhammachakra Pravartan Din in Nagpur. The department lifted a total of 144 tonnes of waste from the Deekshabhoomi area in three days. The workers also played a key role in cleaning the Ambazari, Bezonbagh and Untkhana areas. Despite the arrival of lakhs of followers, the civic administration managed to keep the city clean.

For this work, 872 sanitation workers, 234 waste collectors, 3 suction machines, 3 choke-clearing machines, 190 waste bins and 108 vehicles for carrying waste were deployed in three shifts. Four compactors were used at Bhandewadi to dispose of the waste. The work was done with the help of Antony Waste Handling and M/s BVG India Limited, the companies that collect waste in the city. Both companies deployed 108 vehicles in three shifts, and their 234 workers were engaged in collecting waste.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation took charge of civic amenities, cleanliness and traffic. From October 18, its employees were on duty 24 hours a day, with work divided into three shifts. A senior officer of each department was made nodal officer. The planning was done on the directions of Mayor Nita Thakre and Commissioner Dr Vipin, so that the lakhs of followers coming to the city faced no inconvenience. Along with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor Lila Hathibed, Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare, ruling party leader Narendra (Balya) Borkar and Transport Committee Chairperson Mangala Khekare made regular visits.

Additional Commissioners Ankit, Muruganantham M. and Milind Meshram also worked to make the planning a success. Commissioner Dr Vipin personally oversaw the arrangements. On October 20, Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, he also reviewed the civic amenities and checked whether the followers faced any difficulty. He spoke to followers and sought their views on the facilities.

The main responsibility for cleanliness lay with the corporation's solid waste management department. The drive was led by Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Bhagat, Chief Sanitation Officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle, Lakshminagar Zone Assistant Commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav and Sanitation Officer Rushikesh Ingle. NDS staff also helped with the cleaning. Their team, led by NDS chief Virsen Tambe, was stationed in the Deekshabhoomi area.

For the stay of followers, 21 domes were built in the Deekshabhoomi area. More than 1,200 toilets were also set up, all connected to the sewer line. Sanitation workers were posted to lift waste collecting in the premises and on the roads immediately, and the corporation kept this service running 24x7. To assist the police with security, the corporation provided 44 permanent and 16 temporary CCTV cameras. For drinking water, 120 taps were installed along the road, and water was also provided at every shelter centre. Additional lighting was also arranged.

Waste bins were placed on both sides of the road in the Deekshabhoomi area, and as waste collected in them, less waste was seen on the roads. Sanitation workers were deployed in three shifts to clear waste from the road. Collected waste was taken to Bhandewadi in two shifts, and 108 vehicles carried it there promptly. As a result, waste did not pile up in the area.

The corporation's transport service, Aapli Bus, also made special arrangements from Deekshabhoomi to Dragon Palace and to Shantivan in Chicholi. Yogesh Lunge, administrative officer of the transport department, said that between October 18 and 20, 58,084 passengers used Aapli Bus from Deekshabhoomi to Dragon Palace, Chicholi and other parts of the city. The service began on October 18, and the corporation deployed 267 buses for it.

On October 18, 1,204 passengers travelled in 12 buses from Deekshabhoomi to Dragon Palace. On October 19, 49 buses ran to Dragon Palace and 9,625 followers benefited. The same day, 534 passengers travelled in 6 buses from Deekshabhoomi to Chicholi. On October 20, the highest number, 41,175 followers, took Aapli Bus from Deekshabhoomi to Dragon Palace, for which the corporation deployed 145 buses. That day, passengers also travelled by Aapli Bus to Nara, Chicholi, Nari, Gandhi Putla, Beltarodi, Yashodhara Nagar and Giddobanagar.