Plastic collection: Thane Municipal Corporation’attends to 250 requests

25th July, 2018

THANE: As many as 250 requests for plastic collection were attended to in the past one month alone by the Thane Municipal Corporation’s TMC WhatsApp helpline launched specifically for door-to-door collection of plastic waste.

Officials said since the inauguration of the initiative on June 21, about four tonnes of plastic and 1,000 kilogram of thermocol were collected from households and commercial units from every nook and corner of the city. It is believed that the civic body is still on its toes attending around nine calls on a daily basis.
A civic official said, “We launched the initiative two days before the ban was imposed last month. When we started getting calls from residents we also began using the concept as a means to provide awareness about the hazards of plastic and its ill-effects on the environment. Till date we have received around 250 WhatsApp messages i.e. 220 from residential societies and 30 from commercial complexes. We have only one van currently and that too becomes fully loaded by the end of the day.”
Even residents are happy with the door step facility and the quick and timely response of the administration. Pranjali Kelkar, a resident of Waghbil said, “I had sent a message on WhatsApp last month to the helpline after which they immediately replied asking me what type of waste I wished to give away. Then they asked me for my address and other details. When the mobile van into my building two days later they also apologized for the delay. I appreciated their honesty and encouraged more occupants in my building to dispose off their waste.”
Given the increasing positive response, officials have now imposed a minimum plastic collection limit of 10 kilogram and have even asked larger societies to come together so as to ease the collection process.

Thaneites can send a message on Whatsapp on 8291735893.

I had sent a message on Whatsapp last month on the helpline after which immediately they replied asking me what type of waste I wished to give away. Then they asked me for my address and other details. When the mobile van into my building two days later they also apologized for the delay

 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com