Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to discontinue the Kasba-Bhavani Zero Waste Pilot from June 30 after corporators raised concerns over the project’s implementation, persistence of garbage spots and expenditure during the general body (GB) meeting. PMC on Thursday informed SWaCH, a waste pickers association, to stop the additional service.PMC to discontinue Kasba waste pilot after GB raises concerns over implementationThe decision was taken after discussions during the PMC general body meeting held on June 22, where corporators sought details about the functioning of SWaCH Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha under the pilot project and questioned the outcome of the initiative.The pilot project, launched on January 19 in Kasba and Bhavani Peth, was aimed at strengthening decentralised waste management, extending doorstep waste collection to uncovered households and ensuring daily garbage collection in slum settlements.“Following the closure of the pilot project, PMC will take over the responsibility of waste collection in the area from June 30 onwards,” said Santosh Warule, deputy commissioner, solid waste management department, PMC, adding that the Vishrambaug Wada-Kasba ward office area would require an additional 292 waste pickers to ensure seamless and uninterrupted waste collection services.According to civic records, the Vishrambaug Wada-Kasba ward office area comprises 154,636 properties. At present, 481 SWaCH waste pickers are engaged in providing doorstep garbage collection services in the area.SWaCH, however, has raised concerns over the short notice period and said the discontinuation of the pilot could affect garbage collection services for around 20,000 households. The organisation also said Sunday garbage collection services in slum settlements may stop following the withdrawal of the pilot.SWaCH CEO Lubna Ananthakrishnan said in a statement that the pilot enabled regular doorstep collection for an additional 25,000 households, deployment of 208 additional waste pickers, beautification of 26 chronic garbage spots and introduction of daily waste collection in slum areas for the first time.Ananthakrishnan urged PMC to integrate the waste pickers recruited under the pilot into sanitation work in nearby areas to protect their livelihoods and ensure citizens do not face disruption in waste collection services.PMC had earlier extended the tenure of the Kasba-Bhavani Zero Waste Pilot till September 30 after approval from the standing committee. However, the civic administration has now decided to discontinue the initiative before the revised deadline.