
GMC steps up plastic ban campaign under Swachh Guntur initiative
Guntur Mayor Kovelamudi Ravindra, who led the rally from NTR Municipal Stadium to Lodge Centre, warned of strict action against the use and sale of plastic, citing its harmful effects on public health and urban drainage systems. At the event, officials inaugurated cloth bag vending machines near Gandhi Park and NTR Stadium to promote eco-friendly alternatives. Awareness drives will be held across the city to educate residents on the impact of plastic waste.
GMC chief Puli Srinivasulu said Guntur's inclusion in the national 'Super Swachh League' of 23 cities places greater responsibility on the city. He stated that the GMC will intensify enforcement measures aligned with the State government's Swarnandhra – Swachhandhra initiative, with this week's theme focusing on plastic ban compliance.
Guntur MLA Galla Madhavi launched the Rs 20 cloth bag vending machine and flagged off the awareness rally. Divisional Railway Manager Sudeshna Sen commended the GMC's efforts and said the Railways would enhance cleanliness measures across stations in the Guntur Division. It concluded with a human chain, Swachh pledge, and distribution of cloth bags supported by ITC and Manavatha NGOs.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Snakes, mosquitoes trigger suburban crisis: Over 8,000 plots turn life miserable for residents of Besa-Pipla
Nagpur: The suburban stretches of Besa, Beltarodi, Pipla, and Ghogli are not only witnessing a real estate boom but also an alarming surge in snake numbers. Thousands of open plots turn into swamps during monsoon, the overgrown grass, and stagnant water providing a perfect breeding ground for the venomous reptiles as well as swarms of mosquitoes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The suburb, tagged as a developing area, has over 8,000 open plots. The residents are scared of bites, from both snakes and disease-spreading mosquitoes breeding at these waterlogged plots. Residents of areas like Central Excise Colony, Pipla, Besa, and more are forced to remain locked inside houses for fear of stepping onto a poisonous snake. "We have filed multiple complaints about open plots to the Nagar Panchayat. They even imposed fines on plot owners, but still the problem remains the same. During the rainy season, snakes are commonly seen outside and even inside our homes. We fear sending children out to play or going out of our homes for even an evening walk as we are afraid of snakes," said Shreyas Muley, a concerned local. "There are thousands of open plots under Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat and after recent rains many of them are filled with water. There is a big open plot behind the Beltarodi Police Station which has now become a dumping yard. It is already filled with water, and the dumping of waste has further fueled the mosquito menace. Citizens living in these areas are at a major risk of catching dengue or other vector-borne diseases," said Saransh Chakole, a resident of Beltarodi. The rising number of snake sightings has also kept rescue teams on their toes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sarpamitra Gaju Patle, who has been rescuing snakes in the area for years, said the calls never stop. "In these areas, there are all types of snakes, including venomous ones like cobra, Russell's viper, and common krait. Non-venomous snakes are also found in the area. At night, when there is less moment, the snakes often come out in the open," he said. The Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat says it's trying to fight the growing menace, but the sheer volume of unregulated land is proving to be an uphill battle. "There are around 8,000 open plots under the Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat. We have recently started taking out water from many plots and even putting anti-malaria oil in plots where water drainage is not possible. We are also regularly carrying out fogging. Many of the plots are illegal. Still, we have imposed Rs 25,000 fines on many plot owners, but the issue persists," admitted CEO Bharat Nandanwar. But for the residents, the official action is too little, too late. What was once sold as the city's emerging residential goldmine is now a ticking health and safety bomb — waiting for stronger, swifter intervention. Until then, dusk in these suburbs brings with it a chilling caution: watch your step, and your breath.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Unfinished bridge cuts off Bageshwar village from medical aid
Bageshwar: In Sorag, a remote Himalayan village in Kapkot tehsil of Bageshwar district, an unfinished bridge has become a grim symbol of official apathy, leaving residents cut off from basic medical care. With the long-promised structure still incomplete after four years, villagers are forced to carry the sick and injured on makeshift stretchers for miles across treacherous terrain. On Friday, 16-year-old Diwakar Danu, a Class 11 student, suffered a severe spinal injury after falling from a roof. With no motorable access to the village, locals carried him on a stretcher for 8km over rugged terrain to reach the nearest ambulance. Doctors at the district hospital confirmed a spinal fracture and advised complete bed rest. The incident has once again cast a spotlight on the long-stalled bridge project over the Pindar River. In 2021, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), an 11-km road was sanctioned to connect Sorag to the nearest main road. The construction agency, WAPCOS, was allocated Rs 4.5 crore to build the road and a 60-metre bridge. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo While the road has been completed, the bridge remains unfinished, rendering the route impassable for vehicles. The situation worsens during the monsoon, when river levels rise and isolation deepens. "Authorities built the road but left out the crucial bridge. Without it, we're still cut off. Even the temporary wooden bridge built by us was washed away during the monsoon," said Diwan Singh Danu, a resident. Nitin Soragi, another villager added, "Stretchers and palanquins have become our emergency transport. The bridge has been in limbo for years. Generations have waited." WAPCOS engineer Bishan Lal claimed the bridge between Ungiya and Sorag is "80% complete". "Shuttering and slab work remain. We expect to finish construction by winter," he added. Sorag isn't the only village struggling. In the Kalapair-Kapdi area, residents are using a risky trolley system to cross the Ramganga River after a suspension bridge collapsed. "We risk our lives every day. The alternative route takes several kilometres on foot," said Vijaya Koranga, a resident.


Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
64 years on, water treatment plant for Mollem and Collem
Ponda: Villages of Collem and Mollem — part of the Sanvordem assembly constituency — have begun receiving treated water from a dedicated water treatment plant for the first time, six decades after the state's Liberation. The supply started on Friday. The water treatment plant at Collem, costing over Rs 25 crore, has a capacity of 3 million litres per day (MLD) and was commissioned on Friday by fisheries minister Nilkanth Halarnkar, in the presence of Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar. Over 2,500 households at Collem and Mollem villages in Dharbandora taluka are now getting treated water. Earlier, the water division of the PWD would pump raw water from the Khandepar river; from borewells at Bazarwada, Metawada, and one near the rural dispensary; and from an open well at Bazarwada. The present total consumption is 2.5MLD and the plant has been planned considering the next 30 years' consumption, said Dinkar Malekar, an assistant engineer with the department of drinking water (DDW). Water was earlier being filtered by a mini-pressure sand filter which ran for around 14 hours daily to supply potable water to the villages. However, locals were unwilling to accept the water, as the river basin it came from is used by tourists to bathe. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think! Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads Learn More Undo On Dec 17, 2021, the then PWD minister Deepak Pauskar laid the foundation stone for the water treatment plant project and the work started in Jan-Feb 2022. Gaonkar said the tender for the work on the plant was allotted to SMC Infrastructure from Thane, Maharashtra. Under the project, the contractor has constructed an overhead reservoir of 650 cubic metres (CuM) near Maruti Mandir, Gandhinagar at Collem, an 800 CuM clear water tank near Mallikeshwar temple at Metawada, and a 300 CuM ground-level reservoir (GLR) at Mollem. Malekar said a 7km-long ductile iron rising main pipeline pushes the water to the plant, and the 25km-long network comprises 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, and 150mm distribution lines. The treated water is then poured into the Collem overhead reservoir and ground-level reservoir at Mollem. 'While Collem villagers will get water from the overhead reservoir, the water to Mollem consumers will have to be pumped and released via distribution lines as the ground-level reservoir is situated at a low level,' Malekar said.