Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has strengthened its Solid Waste Management Department’s flying squad by adding ten new vehicles to their fleet on Tuesday (December 24). With this addition, the total number of vehicles in the squad has increased to 18. This move is aimed at expediting actions against individuals and entities responsible for uncleanliness in the city.

The initiative is modeled after the successful cleanliness drives of Indore city in Madhya Pradesh. The PMC had established a flying squad to enforce discipline among those violating cleanliness norms and impose fines for various offenses. To ensure smooth operations, the squad was equipped with modern, technologically advanced vehicles.

The formal inauguration of the ten new vehicles took place on Tuesday under the leadership of Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale. The event was attended by Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P., Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department Sandeep Kadam, Circle 1 Deputy Commissioner Raju Nandkar, and officials Prasad Jagtap and Mukund Barve.

The Solid Waste Management Department has been actively penalizing offenders for violations such as littering in public places, using banned plastic, dumping construction debris, spitting in public, and burning waste.

From October 2023 to December 24, 2024, the department registered 72,778 cases and collected ₹4.03 crore in penalties. Additionally, 6,268 kilograms of banned plastic were seized during this period.

This expanded fleet is expected to enhance the effectiveness of the flying squad’s operations and contribute to maintaining cleanliness across the city.