Kolhapur: Guardian Minister Prakash Abitkar on Friday inaugurated a 20-tonnes-per-day (TPD) biogas plant at the Kasba Bawda solid waste management site in Kolhapur. He also inaugurated a new pump set at the Shingnapur pumping station for 2023–24 under the Maharashtra Suvarna Jayanti Nagar Utthan Yojana, reports The Times of India.
At the same event, the foundation stone was laid for another pump set to be installed at Shingnapur–Nagdevwadi, which is scheduled to be completed in 2025–26. The ceremony was attended by MP Shahu Chhatrapati, MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar, MLA Amal Mahadik, Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) Administrator K. Manjulekshmi, and other senior officials.
The biogas facility, set up under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, is a joint project of the Central Government, the Maharashtra Government, and the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation.
Speaking at the event, Abitkar said that basic infrastructure such as roads, water, and sanitation plays an important role in a city’s development. He said the new biogas project would help the city manage its waste more effectively and improve cleanliness. He added that KMC should continue to strengthen its sanitation measures for the well-being of residents.
MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar, who also heads the State Planning Commission, appreciated the improvement in the condition of the Kasba Bawda site. He said that waste management is a major challenge everywhere, and the progress made in Kolhapur is noteworthy. He recalled that the area once suffered from unhygienic conditions and stray animals, but today the situation has changed for the better. Kshirsagar praised KMC officials for their continued efforts to maintain cleanliness and improve facilities.
